A harrowing video depicting the bullying of a 14-year-old girl in Jiangyou, Sichuan province, has swept across Chinese social media, leading to protests and widespread demands for justice. The footage, which showed the girl being slapped, kicked, and coerced into kneeling by three other minors, has triggered a wave of public outcry, particularly over the perceived leniency of punishment meted out to the attackers, aged 13 to 15.
Authorities indicated that two of the assailants had been sent to "specialized schools for corrective education," which many deemed insufficient given the gravity of the offense. The victim's mother, who is deaf, reportedly reached out to officials pleading for justice, arguing that her daughter had been subjected to prolonged bullying. This scenario quickly escalated into significant public fury, sparking protests outside government buildings in Jiangyou on August 4th. Witnesses reported that over a thousand demonstrators gathered, with tensions rising as police employed batons and electric prods to disperse the crowd, further fueling the outrage.
Despite the government's focus on controlling the narrative, protesters insisted that they were merely seeking accountability. One local shop owner reported confrontations escalating to violence, asserting that "people just wanted justice" for the victim. The police's response to the incident has drawn criticism, as individuals began circulating false information online, prompting the authorities to issue statements refuting claims that the attackers were connected to powerful families, including that of a lawyer and a police inspector.
This incident arrives amid growing concerns in China over school bullying—a sensitive issue that has previously sparked violent protests following student fatalities linked to bullying. In another recent case, the death of a teenager in similar circumstances led to unrest in Pucheng, where authorities faced accusations of a cover-up. Furthermore, legal professionals comment on the inadequacies in legislation regarding minor injuries inflicted through bullying, highlighting an alarming gap in safeguarding victims' rights.
The protests in Jiangyou reflect a broader societal frustration with issues of violence against children, urging a reevaluation of how such matters are addressed by law. As public sentiment continues to mount, this incident is poised to reignite discourse on the need for reform in dealing with school bullying across China.
