Tangshan Attack: Seven Charged, Eight Police Officials Implicated in Corruption

A June attack on women in Tangshan, a city in Hebei province, has sparked a public outcry after a viral video showed a man harassing and beating a woman, and her fellow diners being assaulted. The incident led to a massive public outcry, with the government ordering an investigation and eventually charging seven people, including the main suspect, Chen Jizhi, with kidnapping, gang violence, and other crimes. The investigation also revealed that eight police officials investigated for allegedly protecting the suspect and mishandling the case were found to have abused their power and taken bribes.

Key Takeaways:

• Seven people, including Chen Jizhi, have been charged over the June attack on women in Tangshan.
• Chen Jizhi is accused of kidnapping, gang violence, and other crimes, including unlawful detentions, assault, and robbery.
• Eight police officials, including Ma Aijun, chief of the Lubei branch of Tangshan Public Security Bureau, were found to have abused their power and taken bribes.
• The victims sustained minor injuries and were released from hospital on July 1.
• Chen Jizhi was listed as a fugitive wanted in relation to an earlier assault case, and a man also came forward accusing him of kidnapping and beating him in another incident.
• Prosecutors labelled Chen the leader of a criminal gang and charged him over 11 other alleged crimes committed since 2012.
• The provincial prosecutors described Chen's organisation as "vicious" and accused of causing "bad influence on society" by "doing wrong, bullying residents and disrupting the local economy and social life".
• The Hebei Commission for Discipline Inspection investigated 15 officers and officials in Tangshan, and an initial investigation found eight officers with serious disciplinary violations.

Statistics:

• 7 people charged over the Tangshan attack.
• 100% of the victims suffered minor injuries.
• July 1: victims were released from hospital.
• 11 alleged crimes committed by Chen Jizhi since 2012, including unlawful detentions, assault, and robbery.
• 15 officers and officials investigated by the Hebei Commission for Discipline Inspection.
• 150km: distance between Tangshan and Langfang, where police from the city of Langfang took jurisdiction over the case.

Sources:

• The Hebei Provincial People's Procuratorate (no date mentioned)
• The Langfang Guangyang District People's Procuratorate (no date mentioned)
• The Hebei Commission for Discipline Inspection (no date mentioned)
• State broadcaster CCTV (no date mentioned)
• The Ministry of Public Security (no date mentioned)