An observation by a recent study that sexual violence is on the rise in China among young victims was affirmed by the decision of a judge in a Wenzhou court to sentence seven teens up to six-and-a-half years jail term. The seven were found guilty of beating a girl in a hotel for 11 hours and making another girl dance topless in a bar.
Wenzhou Judge Weng Zinyu found the seven youth, aged 16 to 19, guilty of illegal detention and assault. Their sentences ranged from nine months to six-and-a-half years, Hangzhou Daily reported.
The seven trapped on Feb. 18 Xiao Ting in a hotel room and abused her by slapping Xiao Ting’s face, dousing her body with cold water, kicking her abdomen and forcing her to kneel down and say sorry to them, according to Global Times. The other victim, after forcing her to dance topless in a bar, was verbally and physically abused by the seven teens after they left the hotel.
The judge linked the abuse they experienced as children because they grew up in a home ran by a single father that lacked love and instead subjected them to violence at an early age. However, Weng did not excuse their childhood experience for the abuse they did on the two victims.
In early November, China’s Ministry of Education came out with new guiding principles on violence and bullying among students. The guidelines sought stronger prevention measures and for punishment of bullying, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The bullying happens even in elite schools where the focus is so much on passing exams and being successful academically. However, in these academic institutions, there is lack of moral education, correct social behavior and instilling family values, Global Times reported.