9 arrested after vicious assault on girls in north China

Chinese authorities arrested 9 individuals on suspicion of violently assaulting a number of girls at a restaurant after surveillance footage of the assault sparked widespread outrage.

Footage from a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan in northern Hebei province, time stamped 2.40 am on Friday, confirmed one of many males approaching a desk the place a celebration of 4 girls had been seated and putting his hand on a girl’s again.

She rebuffed him a number of occasions earlier than he flew right into a rage and slapped her, prompting her to battle again.

A brawl ensued, with a bunch of males getting into the restaurant and brutally attacking the girl and her eating companions, together with shoving them to the bottom, kicking them and even throwing a chair at them.

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Footage taken from exterior the restaurant additionally confirmed the attackers dragging the girl who had initially rebuffed the person’s advances out of the institution earlier than being viciously overwhelmed, with most passersby and patrons of the restaurant wanting on.

Photographs of her mendacity on a stretcher, with a swollen and bloodied face, in addition to footage of the assault, went viral on-line.

The assault and the general public outcry renewed a dialog about misogyny and mistreatment of ladies in China.

Earlier this 12 months, a viral video of a girl being chained to a wall in a hut drew public backlash after authorities initially denied that she was a sufferer of human trafficking. She was later discovered to have been bought as a bride.

All 9 suspects had been arrested on Saturday, based on a press release by authorities issued on micro-blogging platform Weibo.

Two girls had additionally sustained non-life-threatening accidents and had been receiving therapy in a hospital. Their situation was reported to be secure. Two others had been barely injured.

The footage of what occurred each inside and outdoors the restaurant was slightly below 5 minutes. The Weibo consumer who was among the many first to submit the movies mentioned in a submit that it was “heartbreaking” to observe.

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“Does that mean that dining out is so unsafe now, do we have to bring men with us everywhere we go?” the submit learn. “(These men) are no different from thugs.”

When reached, the consumer declined to disclose the supply of the movies, stating that it was “inconvenient” to take action.

By Sunday, the video of footage filmed contained in the restaurant had garnered over 68 million views, whereas the footage displaying the graphic assault exterior the restaurant had been taken down.

Social media customers have condemned the assault and criticised Tangshan police for being sluggish in arresting the suspects.

“I’m a woman, and I have a daughter,” mentioned one Weibo consumer with the deal with BaobaomaoDaren. “I wonder — as I’m creating value for society and spreading positive energy, will this society protect me and my child?”

State broadcaster CCTV mentioned in an internet commentary that the suspects should be arrested as shortly as potential and “punished severely in accordance with the law” so as to account to the victims and the general public.