Viral Video of Woman Getting Attacked in a Beijing Hotel Has Everyone in China Outraged

April 8, 2016

A terrifying scene of a young Chinese woman being attacked by a stranger who followed her to her hotel room has infuriated the Chinese public.

天哪！【和颐酒店女生遇袭】网友弯弯说 “太可怕了！我在和颐酒店电梯出口，碰到了陌生人强行拖拽！对方还掐我脸颊和脖子不让我呼救，幸好我拖延了时间，还遇到了好心人路过阻拦。 ”

Posted by Shanghaiist 中文版 on Tuesday, April 5, 2016

According to CNN, the incident that occurred on the fourth floor of a Beijing hotel Sunday night was caught on camera and allegedly uploaded to YouKu and posted to the victim’s Weibo account. Many are outraged by the attack and incredulous about the failure of a hotel staff member to intervene and help the woman. Qin Liwen, a commentator and former journalist, commented upon the matter:

“When women are publicly assaulted or kidnapped yet no one intervenes and the police refuse to take the case, only to rely on social media to uphold justice, [we] are living in a collective shame.”

Footage from the hotel video shows the young woman leaving the elevator and fumbling for the keys to her hotel room. A man follows her to her door, grabs her arm and drags her onto the floor. He attempts to choke her as a male hotel staff member approaches them. The hotel employee attempts to say something to the man but ultimately doesn’t stop the attack.

According to Xinhua, China’s official news agency, the victim said of the attack:

“I was startled out of my mind at the time. All I could do was to keep crying and begging him to set me free.”

Meanwhile, the perpetrator pulls out his mobile phone and appears to ask for backup. After a grueling three minutes, a female hotel guest finally intervenes and the victim manages to escape.

The video has gone viral and the Chinese public is outraged by the incident, citing the sexism in a patriarchal society that allows violence against women.

The woman retold in detail on her Weibo account the response she received after contacting local police. Local police refused to look over her case as it wasn’t under the jurisdiction of that station. Representatives from Beijing Wangjing 798 Heyi Hotel released a statement apologizing to the woman for failing to handle the incident efficiently.

Some are suggesting that bystanders chose not to intervene because they thought the man and woman were a couple engaging in a domestic dispute. Social advocates for domestic violence victims explain that many choose not to be involved in violence that occurs within an intimate relationship as they believe it is a private affair.

Share this Article