Viral video of women being attacked sparks outrage in China 3:27
Hong Kong (CNN)
After days of mounting public pressure, Chinese police have finally issued an update on the investigation into a brutal attack at a restaurant in Tangshan, but the statement did little to quell public outrage or address concerns. victims.
The assault, which took place in the early hours of June 10, involved several women who were repeatedly kicked and punched by a group of men.
The incident rocked China after surveillance footage leaked online.
A day after the attack, Tangshan police released a statement saying two women were hospitalized with "non-life-threatening injuries" and are in "stable condition."
No other information was provided.
The victims, as well as their friends and family, have also remained silent.
ANALYSIS |
What happened to the women of Tangshan?
The Chinese demand answers on the brutal attack on women in a restaurant
On Tuesday, 11 days after the assault and 10 days after the initial statement, the public security department of Hebei province, where Tangshan is located, issued a second, longer statement, saying that two of the women, aged 31 and 29, were "hospitalized in the general ward for treatment, and their conditions have improved."
The other two victims, aged 24 and 29, did not require hospitalization, it added.
According to a coroner's report cited by police, the hospitalized women suffered "minor second-degree injuries," while the other two had "minor injuries."
The 10-day black hole of information had led to repeated accusations that leaked surveillance video captured only part of the attack, and violence continued off-camera in a nearby alley, claims CNN cannot independently verify.
advertising
In an apparent attempt to refute such rumors, Hebei police said in Tuesday's statement that the suspects fled the scene at 2:47 am, seven minutes after the assault began;
and at 2:55 am, the four victims were taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Local police officers arrived at the restaurant at 3:09 a.m., about half an hour after receiving a call from the public at the start of the attack, according to the statement.
But the statement was met with disbelief online, with many criticizing authorities' handling of the case.
A related hashtag on Weibo was viewed 450 million times in a matter of hours.
"So there are no photos or videos. Journalists cannot interview (victims), and only you yourself can release information," said a user on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, referring to the lack of access provided. to journalists.
ANALYSIS |
'This Could Happen To Any Of Us': Explicit Video Of Men Kicking Woman's Head Shakes China To The Core
"A city with no credibility, dare we trust the injury report? And how reliable is this police statement?" the user added.
In the aftermath of the attack, Chinese authorities have tried to quell discussions of gender-based violence and shift the focus to local gang violence.
State media reports have largely focused on the swift police action to arrest suspects and the two-week "lightning storm" campaign announced by Tangshan authorities to crack down on organized crime.
Photos and videos of police officers, some armed with firearms, standing guard behind patrons at outdoor barbecue restaurants, similar to where the incident occurred, flooded social media.
In Tuesday's statement, police said four of the suspects had traveled to Tangshan from the eastern province of Jiangsu three days before the attack to conspire with the other five to "carry out illegal online gambling and money laundering activities." ".
Several of them had criminal records, for offenses ranging from illegal detention to intentional harm to others, the statement added.
Police authorities have also launched an internal investigation to determine whether the local police station failed to respond in time and whether it violated any law or regulation in enforcing the law.
A deputy chief of the local police station had been suspended, according to the statement.
violence against women
