The fact that the perpetrators who gang-raped a 14-year-old girl in China received light punishment has sparked public outrage online, leading to large-scale protests. It is unusual for protests to occur in China.
According to major foreign media, on the 22nd of last month, a 14-year-old girl was assaulted by three peer teenagers in an abandoned building in the city of Zhangyou, Sichuan Province, southwestern China. The perpetrators stripped the victim of her clothes, alternately slapped her, and made her kneel, continuing their brutal behavior.
The problem is that the level of punishment for the perpetrators is low. According to the BBC, local authorities have placed the three juvenile offenders in a correctional facility.
As the news spread on social media (SNS) alongside the assault video, many citizens expressed dissatisfaction with the light punishment and staged protests.
On the evening of the 4th, over 1,000 citizens took to the streets. It has been reported that clashes occurred during this process, with police using batons to suppress the protesters.
The BBC reported that "the (victimized) girl claims she has been bullied for a long time, and her mother, who is known to have a hearing impairment, appealed to authorities for stricter punishment, after which public anger increased."