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A video showing a 14-year-old boy attacking a seven-year-old girl in an elevator has sparked outrage on Chinese social media. The footage, shared widely online, reveals the boy, surnamed Liu, choking the girl, surnamed Wang, in their residential building in Jiangxi province.
The incident occurred on the evening of November 2, when Liu followed Wang into the elevator, covering her mouth and nose as the doors closed. He dragged her out of the elevator on the first floor, but released her after she awoke and began to cry, attracting the attention of a passerby. Wang's mother, surnamed Li, reported that her daughter briefly lost consciousness and has since suffered nightmares and missed school due to the trauma.
The incident quickly spread on Chinese social media, with users expressing shock and frustration over Liu's release due to his age. In China, the age of criminal liability is set at 16, allowing juveniles under this age to avoid criminal charges for most offenses. Although Liu was initially detained, he was released within 24 hours. Following an outcry over the video, local authorities later placed Liu under administrative detention, a penalty which by law cannot exceed 15 days.
Chinese law stipulates that minors aged 14 to 16 are only subject to criminal penalties for serious offenses like intentional homicide. According to lawyer Zhang Yonghui from Zhejiang Tiequan Law Firm, Liu’s actions could typically result in up to five years in prison for child molestation. However, because he is under 16, Liu will not face legal consequences beyond the brief administrative detention. Zhang also suggested Liu might be sent to a reformatory after his release, but details remain unclear.
After the video went viral, a neighbor revealed that Liu’s family had issued an apology through the residential compound's social media group, describing Liu as usually well-behaved and claiming he was “bewitched” at the time of the attack. They shared footage of Liu being punished by his family and stated plans to relocate him to another city upon his release.
The apology was met with widespread criticism online, with users condemning the family for downplaying Liu's actions and failing to take accountability. "Excusing his actions as 'bewitched' is irresponsible and sending him away only avoids addressing the problem," one user commented. Another remarked, "The law must keep pace with society. Minors are exposed to more unfiltered information than before, and letting serious actions go unpunished sets a dangerous precedent."
Source: SCMP
