Outrage has erupted in China after officials claimed that a boy who stabbed his classmate over 200 times with a sewing awl did not meet the standards of bullying. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/QQ.com/Taobao
BEIJING: China is outraged after officials in eastern China said that a case in which a boy stabbed his classmate more than 200 times with a sewing awl over three months “did not meet the standards of bullying”.
According to the victim’s parents, their daughter was stabbed in her thigh by a male transfer student at the school in Shandong province, according to the Chinese media outlet Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
The new student sat next to her in her Primary Six class and jabbed her with the needle of a sewing awl.
The needle was about 7 to 8cm long, and he jammed it entirely into her leg, causing muscle injuries.
“It hurt so much, I wanted to die,” the girl said.
The girl revealed that the bullying included more than just sewing awl stabbings; she was also stabbed with a paper cutter, slapped, and forced to eat paper and pencil lead.
Additionally, she faced social isolation and was blackmailed for hundreds of yuan.
Her family demanded justice after posting videos on September 8, highlighting the damage to her thigh and school uniform from the stabbings.
The mother, unaware of the abuse due to her daughter’s attendance at a boarding school, explained that her daughter hid the violence to avoid worrying her, as she travels frequently.
The mother said the boy had told his classmates that his father was “the principal’s friend”.
The girl reported the bullying to a teacher, showing her injuries, but was advised to visit the health centre and told “not to provoke others”.
A spokesperson from the school informed Changcheng New Media that a vote was conducted to determine whether the incident would be classified as school bullying.
Out of 14 participants, including school officials, a lawyer, and a local police officer, eight concluded it was not bullying.
The local education bureau echoed this, stating the boy’s actions “did not meet the standards of school bullying.”
A staff member from the education bureau noted that both students remain in the same grade but are no longer in the same class. New officials have been assigned to investigate the matter.
The case has drawn strong reactions online, with many finding the outcome shocking and ridiculous.
One user on Douyin remarked: “The authorities are correct. This was not school bullying; it was a crime of assault and intentional injury.”
Another added: “The school should not decide if it was bullying; the law must hold the boy accountable.”
Wang Qionghua, a lawyer from Guangdong Zhiheng Law Firm, emphasised that under China’s Provisions on the Protection of Minors on Campus, school bullying involves intentionally causing harm or financial loss.
She pointed out that such actions could also be criminal, and if minors are involved, they may need to be sent to special educational facilities. - South China Morning Post
