A video circulating on Chinese social media shows a 14-year-old girl in Jiangyou City, Sichuan Province, being forced to kneel by three classmates. They repeatedly slapped her face and kicked her body. One of the assailants filmed the attack, in which the victim screamed that she would call the police after being hit with a stick.

The attackers responded that they weren't afraid. One boasted about being taken to the police station more than 10 times and always being released within 20 minutes.

The 14-year-old victim of the assault in Jiangyou, Sichuan. Screenshot from a video on Weibo.

The incident sparked public outrage in China, prompting a swift investigation by Jiangyou police. Police said the three suspects, all girls aged 13 to 15, were identified, and two have been sent to a reform school.

Many believe the punishment is too lenient, especially given reports that the victim had been bullied for a long time and her mother is hearing-impaired. Protests have taken place outside local government offices in Jiangyou, demanding justice for the victim.

On 4/8, over 1,000 people gathered in the streets, urging authorities to take stricter action against the attackers. The Jiangyou Police Department dismissed rumors that one of the assailants was the child of a lawyer and a police officer, stating that their parents held ordinary jobs or were unemployed.

School violence has become a major concern in China in recent years, following several fatal incidents. In 2024, two teenagers were sentenced to prison for murdering a classmate with a shovel and disposing of the body in Hebei Province.

Duc Trung (BBC, CNN, CGTV)