Photo: screenshot from Sina Weibo

 


Nine suspects involved in the harassing and beating incident at a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan, North China's Hebei Province have been approved to be arrested by the local procuratorate authorities.

On Sunday, the Guangyang branch of the public security bureau of Langfang said in a statement that the local People's Procuratorate in Guangyang district approved to arrest nine suspects including Chen Jizhi. The official statement did not say what crimes they were accused of. 

The Hebei provincial public security department has ordered the Guangyang public security sub-bureau of the neighboring city of Langfang city to take over the case from Tangshan's public security bureau. It is believed this will ensure a fair handling of the case.

Soon after surveillance video footage showing the incident occurred in Tangshan was released online, it ignited the internet and triggered a national heated discussion about the protection of women and public security. The public called for a thorough investigation and strict punishment of the suspects for such brutal violence against others. 

A comment piece released by Jiancha Ribao, a daily newspaper run by China's highest prosecuting office, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, said the sentiment among the public is understandable. At the moment it is difficult and too early to say how the case will end, whether the culprits will face five or ten-year sentences, but from what could be gathered from the police, crimes of disturbance and intentional injury to others will certainly not be ruled. 

How the court will judge the suspects will be based on the results of the ongoing investigation and the degree of injury and damage on the victims. As for speculations about whether the suspects are involved in organized gangs, further investigation will be required, the newspaper wrote.

As the country builds a safe China and focuses on fighting against gang crimes, organized crimes have been intensively cracked down and social governance has largely improved and residents have a stronger sense of security. Violent cases such as this are at odds with the broader national context and that is one of the reasons it's been perceived as absolutely outrageous and unacceptable by the public.

Although on the surface, as an individual case, it hurts innocent individuals, in essence it affects the public's confidence toward a secure society ruled by law, added the newspaper. 

The top prosecuting office called for a severe punishment of the perpetrators, for justice to the victims and a response to public concern. 

The government should further fortify the security barrier against any gang crimes and dismiss the shadow cast by this case, giving the people a greater sense of happiness, and confidence in a peaceful and secure China, it wrote.

Global Times