A brutal attack on a group of women in a restaurant has sparked horror and outrage among citizens in China. Nine people have been arrested in connection with the incident in Tangshan city, north China’s Hebei province, official police said yesterday. The attack has greatly sparked debate about sexual harassment and gender-based violence online.
Video footage of the incident which goes viral online shows a man putting his hand on the back of a woman who was being accompanied by two friends in the restaurant. When the woman pushes the man away, he hits the woman and slaps her. Another woman fights back with a wine bottle. Other men forcibly dragged the woman out of the restaurant and beat and kick her while she was lying on the floor. Another woman is also knocked to the ground.
Two women were so badly injured in the attack that they had to be hospitalized in ICU, authorities said yesterday. They are in “stable condition”. Two other women suffered minor injuries.
According to the police, the nine suspect arrested are accused of Intentional assault, picking quarrels and provoking troubles and they may face serious punishment. Further investigations into the case are ongoing.
The incident received millions of comments online. “this could have happened to me, could have happened to all of us,” said one post, which more than 100,000 users agreed with. “How can something like this still happen in 2022?” wrote another. “Please punish them and don’t let any of them get away.”
related video footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA7ieHIv8AY
