School Bullying Case in China Triggers Rare Protests

Rare protests erupted in southern China after footage of a 14-year-old girl being beaten and humiliated by three other minors went viral, sparking outrage, demands for justice, and stricter punishment, Agence France-Presse reported. 

Onlookers filmed the victim, identified by her family name of Lai, being slapped, kicked, and forced to kneel by three other teenage girls in a video that went viral last week. 

The assault occurred in Jiangyou in Sichuan province, but the girl had allegedly been bullied for some time before the latest incident. Her mother, who is reportedly deaf, had repeatedly appealed to the authorities for help in stopping the abuse. 

The police said that the three suspects are all girls, aged 13, 14 and 15. Two of them have been sent to a “specialized schools for corrective education,” the BBC wrote. 

Bystanders and the third girl who participated in the bullying were “criticized and educated,” according to the police, which added that their guardians had been “ordered to exercise strict discipline.” 

In the video, one of the perpetrators says that she was not afraid of the police because in the 10 times she was taken in, she was released in less than 20 minutes. 

As the video became viral, many people felt that the punishment was not enough and have expressed outrage online and in the streets, with large crowds gathering to protest outside Jiangyou city hall. 

Video confirmed by AFP filmed outside the city hall showed at least two individuals being forcibly removed by police officers, while a woman is seen being dragged away by her limbs. Police also used batons and electric prods to control the crowd. 

Additional footage captured after nightfall showed police in black SWAT uniforms restraining at least three individuals at a busy intersection in front of hundreds of bystanders. 

Protests are very infrequent in China, and any seen as an opposition to the ruling Communist Party or a threat to the civil order is quickly suppressed. 

However, bullying in the country’s extremely competitive school system has struck a nerve with the public, especially after a high-profile murder case last year sparked debate over how the legal system handles juvenile offenders.  

In January, the death of a teenage boy in northwest China triggered violent protests where demonstrators hurled objects at police.