Photo: Jiangyou Public Security Bureau

Police have imposed public security penalties on those involved in an incident in Jiangyou, Sichuan Province, where a minor was verbally abused and physically assaulted off campus. According to a police notice, two perpetrators will be sent to a specialized school for corrective education, while two netizens have been administratively punished for fabricating and spreading rumors about the case.

On the evening of August 2, a video showing a minor being assaulted off-campus in Jiangyou began circulating online.

According to the police investigation, in the afternoon of July 22, Liu (female, 15-year-old) got into a conflict with Lai (female, 14-year-old). Liu then arranged with another student surnamed Liu (female, 13-year-old) and Peng (female, 14-year-old) to verbally abuse, threaten, and physically assault Lai in an unoccupied area of a building in Jiangyou, the police said on Monday. 

Other individuals present watched and filmed the incident, and the video was later uploaded online. The assault caused multiple contusions to Lai's scalp and knees, which were assessed as minor injuries, police said. All individuals involved have been brought in. Relevant authorities have actively intervened, providing comfort and psychological counseling to the victim and her family. 

The public security authorities have imposed administrative penalties on the three abusers and the remaining onlookers were given formal reprimands, and their guardians were ordered to strengthen supervision.

Meanwhile, two of the abusers, the 15-year-old Liu and 14-year-old Peng, will be sent to a specialized school for corrective education according to China's law on the prevention of juvenile crimes, police said.

During this period, online rumors began circulating, claiming that "the attacker was the daughter of the deputy director of Jiangyou Public Security Bureau," "one assailant's father was a lawyer," and that "another assailant's mother was a first-class police inspector in Jiangyou."

Upon verification, the parents of the three offenders were found to include two unemployed individuals, two working outside the province, one local shop assistant, and one local food delivery worker. The alleged information about their parents' professional identities was found to be fabricated, police of Mianyang, which governs Jiangyou city, said on its WeChat account on Tuesday. 

An investigation revealed that on Tuesday, two internet users surnamed Ding (female, 41-year-old) and Yang (female, 27-year-old) fabricated these rumors after seeing the viral assault video, posting them in chat groups and on social media platforms to attract attention. The false information spread widely, severely disrupting public order and causing a negative social impact, according to the police investigation results.

Ding and Yang have since been lawfully subjected to administrative penalties by the public security authorities, said Mianyang police.

Global Times