[2] Compiled from: Beijing Peace, Red Star News

 
 

[3] Plainclothes police: "We've already seen what just happened. Do you want to report it?"
[4] Victim girl: "Yes, I do!"
[5] Plainclothes police: "Arrest him!"
 
The above conversation is from a Weibo post by netizen @吴未达 on August 26, in which she recounted her experience of being molested on the Beijing subway on Qixi Festival. The article stated that the perpetrator was caught on the spot and sentenced to 10 days of detention.
 
The article received over 170,000 likes, with netizens exclaiming "refreshing and satisfying."
 
 
Case review
According to police, at around 9:30 AM on August 25, 2020, the "Wolf Hunting Team" of the Beijing Public Transport Bureau's Gongyi West Bridge Station was conducting plainclothes operations at Jintai Road Station on Beijing Subway Line 14. They noticed a man in a black short-sleeved shirt constantly staring at women's buttocks near door No. 29 on the upward direction. After the train arrived, he cut in line behind a woman in a brown dress and, taking advantage of the crowded boarding, pinched her right buttock with his right hand as they boarded.
 
After boarding, the woman kept her distance from the man and stared at him. When the train arrived at Dongfeng North Bridge Station, some passengers got off, creating space. Police officers squeezed next to the woman and asked if she had felt anything unusual while boarding. She replied that someone had pinched her buttock. Upon hearing this, the officers immediately arrested the man on the spot.
 
Ultimately, the Public Transport Bureau imposed a 10-day administrative detention penalty on the individual.

 

 
Relevant legal provisions
Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 44
[1] Anyone who engages in indecent acts against others or intentionally exposes their body in public under vile circumstances shall be detained for not less than five days but not more than ten days; if the indecent acts are against persons with intellectual disabilities, mental patients, persons under the age of fourteen, or if there are other serious circumstances, the detention shall be for not less than ten days but not more than fifteen days.
 
 
Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
Article 40
[2] Sexual harassment against women is prohibited. The victimized woman has the right to file a complaint with her unit or the relevant authorities.
 
Article 58
[3] If a violation of this law, such as sexual harassment or domestic violence against a woman, constitutes a public security violation, the victim may request the public security authorities to impose administrative penalties on the violator in accordance with the law, or may file a civil lawsuit in a people's court in accordance with the law.
 
 
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
[4] Article 237: Crime of Compulsory Indecency and Insult
[5] Anyone who forcibly engages in indecent acts against others or insults a woman by violence, coercion, or other means shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention. If the crime in the preceding paragraph is committed by a gathering of people or in a public place in front of others, or if there are other vile circumstances, the sentence shall be fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years. If the indecent acts are against a child, the punishment shall be heavier within the scope of the penalties prescribed in the preceding two paragraphs.
 
 
[6] Excerpt from the involved girl's Weibo post

 
 
[1] The author's perspective
During rush hour in a city, people come and go, traffic flows like a stream. In such crowded times, some people's ugly faces are revealed. On a swaying bus, there are intentional or unintentional touches; on a crowded subway, there is close and seamless contact. Women who are victimized often give up pursuing the matter due to embarrassment, the crowd, or the inability to identify the perpetrator.
 
In fact, when encountering or discovering someone committing indecent acts in the subway or other public places, one should immediately shout to stop them. This is the most effective immediate measure. Because those who commit indecent acts are usually guilty, a loud reprimand at that moment will instill fear in them, preventing them from continuing. At the same time, this is also a good way to attract the attention of the surrounding crowd. When more people focus on the matter, it not only helps protect the woman herself but also helps prevent the perpetrator from escaping.
 
"Girls, rest assured, the subway police's 'Wolf Hunting Team' is always on the move." This sentence comes from the Beijing police's Weibo account. It is a heartwarming and reassuring statement. Perhaps compared to men, women are generally at a physical disadvantage, but psychologically, we are never cowardly. Faced with such ugly faces and filthy behavior, we firmly say no.