China: Schoolgirl Stabbed 218 Times With Needle "Does Not Meet The Standards Of Bullying"
The girl was also forced to eat paper and pencil lead by her male classmate.
By Sadho Ram — 20 Sep 2024, 03:39 PM
A sixth-grade girl at a school in Shandong Province, China, has endured months of brutal treatment at the hands of her male deskmate, including being stabbed in her thigh over 200 times with a sewing awl
The boy, who is a transfer student, also forced the girl to eat paper and pencil lead.
Despite the severity of the acts, local authorities and the school claim the incidents "do not meet the standards of school bullying", reported Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, a Chinese news portal.
This decision has sparked public outrage in on Chinese social media, including Weibo.
The incident occurred at Zhangqiu Bilingual School in Jinan City, where the girl has been subjected to repeated abuse by the boy. In a series of videos posted online on 8 September, the girl revealed that the boy used objects like compasses and a needle to stab her 218 times, even during class.
The needle was about 7 to 8cm long, which he jammed entirely into her leg.
"It hurt so much, I wanted to die," the girl said, adding she also faced social isolation.
According to the South China Morning Post, when the girl reported the bullying to a teacher, showing her injuries, she was advised to visit the health centre and told "not to provoke others".
The principal of the boarding school is said to be friends with the boy's father.
Screenshot from the video, showing puncture marks on the girl's thigh, and the needle/sewing awl the boy used to stab her.
Image via China.comHer family shared photos of the girl's uniform, filled with holes from the stabbings, asking, "How can this not be considered bullying?"
According to the girl's parents, their daughter suffered stab wounds to her legs.
The repeated attacks occurred for three months, leaving her physically injured and emotionally traumatised. They further claimed that the school did not intervene, allowing the abuse to continue unchecked.
"My daughter was stabbed hundreds of times, forced to eat paper, and nothing was done to protect her," said the girl's mother, expressing disbelief at the school's and authorities' inaction.
After the girl's parents posted the video online, the case gained widespread attention, prompting local authorities, including the deputy district mayor responsible for education, to visit the school.
Following which, a spokesperson from the school said that a vote was conducted involving 14 participants, including school officials, a lawyer, and a local police officer, to determine whether the incident would be classified as school bullying. Eight concluded it was not bullying.
Authorities have dismissed the violent acts and suggested civil mediation between the families instead of pursuing a criminal case
The girl's parents have demanded the school refund two years of tuition and expel the boy involved, but they have yet to reach an agreement with the school.
Both students remain in the same grade but are no longer in the same class.
Meanwhile, the case has drawn widespread criticism, with many questioning how violent acts such as stabbing, coercion, and forced consumption of harmful materials could be dismissed so easily.
"If this is not bullying, then what is? Does it count only when someone dies?" remarked a Weibo user, with another adding, "The school should not decide if it was bullying; the law must hold the boy accountable."
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