Outrage as father accused of sexually abusing five-year-old daughter on train in China will not be charged
'Zhou’s behaviour shown in the video does not constitute molesting,' police say
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Chinese authorities have sparked outrage after dropping an investigation into a father who allegedly molested his five-year-old daughter.
A video circulating on social media last week showed a man on a train in southeastern China repeatedly touch a girl who told him to stop and referred to him as her father.
The footage prompted Nanchang railway police to investigate, according to The Guardian, and on Wednesday officials said they had located the alleged perpetrator – a 30-year-old man who was only referred to by his surname Zhou.
However, noting the man was the girl’s father, police said in a statement on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform: “Zhou’s behaviour shown in the video does not constitute molesting. We sincerely thank citizens for their concern.”
The official response, which received more than 21,000 comments from members of the public, triggered anger among many who said the man’s conduct – he had the girl on his lap and touched her under her clothes – was clearly sexual.
“This briefing is indeed more disgusting than the video itself,” one Weibo user commented, while another wrote: “Have you ever thought that a little girl may have been ruined for her whole life?”
China passed its first law against domestic violence in 2015. The law is intended to prohibit any form of domestic abuse in the family, including psychological abuse. According to the country’s criminal code, molesting a child is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison.
Yet because issues in the family have traditionally been viewed as something that should be dealt with internally, many crimes are still ignored by local authorities.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments