The detention of a mother in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, who is alleged to have physically abused her 9-year-old adopted son, has aroused public concern over the corporal punishment of children by parents, and about amendments to the Child Protection Law.

On Sunday, the Nanjing police announced that the adoptive mother, a relative surnamed Li, had been detained on abuse charges.

On Friday, pictures of the boy showing bloodstains on his back, feet and hands went viral on the Internet. A schoolteacher uploaded the pictures to draw public attention to his plight and to call for the punishment of those responsible.