The young boy shows off the scars on his back from alleged abuse by his adoptive parents. [Photo/IC]

The recent news of a 9-year-old boy in Nanjing, Jiangsu province in East China, being frequently beaten up by his adoptive mother surnamed Li and the photographs of the scars on his back and legs have shocked people.

Cases of child abuse hit the headlines from time to time, and a rough online search shows more than 100 such cases were reported last year. But the reported cases are the proverbial tip of the iceberg, because most of the children who suffer abuse do not or cannot expose the perpetrators, who are often people close to them.

Such children are often beaten up for some small things. In the Nanjing case, the boy was whipped by her adoptive mother for failing to finish his homework. The case came to light only after a kindergarten teacher found his ears were bleeding and on closer inspection saw the bruises and alerted police.

Li has been detained and prosecutors are considering charging her with causing intentional injury to a minor. The boy has been returned to his biological parents, who transferred his custody rights to Li three years ago because of poverty.

Seemingly, the case has ended on a decent note. But a series of follow-up stories have provoked more soul searching. Li's lawyer read a letter on her behalf at the hearing to decide whether she would be formally arrested. In the letter, she has regretted her actions and promised to treat the boy nicely in the future.

While separated from Li, the boy kept crying and asking for his adoptive mother. And his biological parents are reluctant to rescind the adoption, because they are too poor to raise the child.

On April 19, the Nanjing procuratorate decided not to arrest Li, which means she could be released on bail but still face charges as investigations continue. Therefore, punishing Li is not the end but just the beginning of a real problem: Where should the boy go?

Of course, the boy should not be returned to Li based just on her letter of repentance. But is it a good idea to return the boy to his biological parents? It's easy to lock Li up, but it's difficult to find the best arrangement for the boy. Li deserves to be punished, but should she lose the custody rights of the boy?