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Chinese prosecutors charge 7 over brutal attack on women in Tangshan
- Main suspect Chen Jizhi is also accused of kidnapping, gang violence and other crimes
- Initial investigation finds 8 police officers abused their power and took bribes, according to provincial party disciplinary authorities
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Seven people have been charged over a June attack on women in the northern Chinese city of Tangshan, with the main suspect also accused of kidnapping, gang violence and other crimes, prosecutors in Hebei province announced on Monday.
Eight police officials investigated for allegedly protecting the suspect and mishandling the case were also found to have abused their power and taken bribes, according to the provincial Communist Party disciplinary body.
The announcements came more than two months after a viral video of the attack sparked a public outcry. The footage showed a man, later identified as Chen Jizhi, harassing a woman in a restaurant and beating her after she rejected his advances.
The woman’s fellow diners came to the rescue but were assaulted by Chen’s accomplices, who stormed the restaurant, struck the victims on the head, dragged them outside and continued the beatings.
Police were called but did not show up until the suspects had fled.
Of the four women victims, two were discharged after a physical examination and two were admitted to hospital. They sustained minor injuries and were released from hospital on July 1, according to a statement from the Hebei Provincial People’s Procuratorate.
After interviewing the victims, collecting evidence and questioning the suspects, prosecutors dismissed online rumours that the women had been thrown from an upper floor or run over by cars, the statement said.
“The beating continued in the alley and they warned us not to call police or they will kill us … We were not run over by a car,” one victim told state broadcaster CCTV.
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