Eight Hong Kong students arrested after viral video posted on Facebook shows them stripping classmate, slapping his buttocks and twisting his ears

Eight students from a secondary school in Ma On Shan have been arrested after a viral video showed them stripping and assaulting a classmate.

The Form Six students from Yan Chai Hospital Tung Chi Ying Memorial Secondary School on Ma On Shan Road were stopped outside the campus on Thursday after police identified them with the help of the school, a source said.

A spokesman said the male students, aged 17 to 19, were arrested for common assault. They were later released on bail and must report back in February.

A 39-second video posted on Facebook showed a male student in school uniform being pinned down between two chairs by about seven other students.

His pants and underwear were removed and students slapped his buttocks and twisted his ears.

The police source said the incident took place last year when the young men involved were in Form Five. Neither the alleged victim nor the school called police.

The school said the case didn't involve bullying; the students just went too far when playing.

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It had initiated a crisis management mechanism to handle the case.

The school said the act could constitute misconduct and it had instructed the concerned students to ensure no such incidents would happen again.

A spokesman from the Education Bureau said it was concerned about the incident and had contacted the school. It issued a circular requiring all schools to take the matter seriously and implement proactive measures to ensure the safety of students.

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