Unusual Protest Erupts In China As Anger Mounts Over Latest Case Of Teen Bullying

HONG KONG — Police successful southwestern China scuffled this week pinch protesters demanding greater justness for a 14-year-old woman bullied by her schoolmates, nan latest successful a bid of specified incidents that person drawn nationalist attention.

The different nationalist outrage was group disconnected by videos wide shared connected Chinese societal media showing a group of teenage girls verbally and physically attacking nan unfortunate successful Jiangyou, a metropolis successful Sichuan province.

Local residents, immoderate of whom were spurred by what authorities said were mendacious reports that nan families of nan alleged attackers had charismatic ties, person faced disconnected pinch constabulary they impeach of letting them disconnected excessively lightly.

“Your children will meet children of officials who are much elder than you. What if they hit your children?” 1 man said from down a barricade successful a video verified by NBC News.

Other verified videos, galore of which were swiftly taken down by Chinese censors, showed a ample crowd gathered successful Jiangyou connected Monday night, astatine times singing nan Chinese nationalist anthem arsenic nan constabulary beingness grew. Some group could beryllium seen struggling pinch constabulary officers connected nan crushed earlier being taken away.

Reached by telephone connected Wednesday, a spokesperson for nan Sichuan Public Security Department declined to remark and referred to earlier statements.

According to section constabulary successful Jiangyou, nan incident took spot connected July 22, erstwhile a 15-year-old woman surnamed Liu and 2 others, ages 13 and 14, assaulted nan 14-year-old victim, surnamed Lai, successful a vacant building. Bystanders recorded nan incident and uploaded it online, constabulary said successful a connection Monday.

The battle caused aggregate contusions to Lai’s scalp and knees, constabulary said, though each injuries were “minor.” Following investigation, authorities “promptly” expressed sympathy for nan unfortunate and took action, nan connection said.

Liu and different alleged perpetrator, who were taxable to “public information penalties,” are being sent to a typical schoolhouse for corrective education, nan constabulary said, while nan remaining bystanders were “criticized and educated.”

It was not instantly clear what precisely nan reward entails and why 1 of nan 3 alleged abusers was not penalized. Under Chinese law, anyone who engages successful terrible group fighting tin beryllium detained for up to 15 days and fined up to 1,000 yuan ($139), but juvenile offenders are exempted from detention and sent for corrective acquisition instead.

Cyber constabulary successful nan metropolis of Mianyang, which administers Jiangyou, said successful a connection Tuesday that nan parents of nan 3 alleged attackers were not lawyers aliases constabulary officers, but that “two are unemployed, 2 activity extracurricular nan province, 1 is simply a section shop assistant, and 1 is simply a section nutrient transportation worker.”

They said 2 net users accused of posting nan mendacious accusation had been “administratively punished.”

The onslaught has been wide discussed connected Chinese societal media, wherever commenters expressed anger complete what they considered comparatively ray penalties.

“Only a dense punishment tin service arsenic a warning,” 1 personification wrote connected nan celebrated Chinese societal media level Weibo. “This is really abhorrent.”

“It’s genuinely infuriating and heartbreaking,” different said. “If specified behaviors spell unpunished, we will yet salary a dense price.”

More than 50% of Chinese students person endured schoolhouse bullying, including verbal abuse, societal removal and threats of violence, according to a caller study by nan state-backed China Youth & Children Research Center.

The rumor of bullying has been getting much attraction successful China aft respective high-profile cases.

In January, convulsive protests erupted successful nan northwestern state of Shaanxi complete a teenage student who fell to his decease astatine a vocational schoolhouse aft a “verbal and beingness altercation” pinch different student. Investigators ruled retired immoderate crime.

Last December, a Chinese tribunal successful nan bluish state of Hebei sentenced 1 teen to life imprisonment and different to 12 years complete nan execution of their 13-year-old schoolmate, who was buried successful an abandoned greenhouse aft being killed by a shovel.

A 3rd suspect, who for illustration nan others was 13 astatine nan clip of nan crime, was sentenced to corrective education.

Chinese authorities admit that immoderate minors return advantage of nan little penalties mostly disposable to those nether 16 and perpetrate aggregate offenses earlier that age, state-run broadcaster CCTV News reported successful June.

The country’s apical legislature passed an amendment nan aforesaid period that would let minors ages 14 to 16 to beryllium detained complete “serious and harmful” offenses starting adjacent year.