A court in northern China sentenced a man to 24 years in prison on Friday for his role in a brutal attack on four women, as well as other crimes including robbery and running an illegal gambling ring. The Guangyang District People’s Court in northern Hebei province said in a statement that the man, Chen Jizhi, was the leader of a criminal gang and had been conducting criminal activities for years. The court also convicted 27 others. The charges against them include opening a casino, robbery, aiding and abetting cybercrime activities, dialogue and inciting riots, and the sentences range from 6 months to 11 years. Authorities had begun investigating Chen after a video emerged in early June in which he and some other men began beating four women at a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan, a city in Hebei. The men didn’t let up, using glass bottles and their fists to attack the women and even threw a chair. Chen had started the attack on a woman after she rejected his advances and pushed his hand away. Then he put his hands on her and dragged her from her chair. He was quickly joined by his crew as the woman’s friends tried to stop his attack. The incident was captured on video by surveillance cameras at the restaurant. The graphic videos sparked public outrage and despair as many women expressed concerns for their personal safety. It also recalled the public sense of despair over violence against women going unpunished, such as a case earlier in the year where a video of a woman chained to a wall in a country house was released. Authorities later determined in an investigation that the woman had been trafficked and sold as a bride. Initially, the police arrested nine people, seven men and two women, for the attack on the four women. Two of the women had to be treated for their injuries. The investigation into public assault has evolved into a broader investigation into criminal activity and corruption. Prosecutors later said they had charged another 27 people with crimes uncovered during the investigation. In August, Communist Party officials from the Hebei Provincial Commission for Disciplinary Inspection said they were investigating 15 officials for corruption involving “evil organizations,” including those linked to the perpetrators. The 15, including the director of the Tangshan public security bureau and officers from several police departments, are suspected of abuse of power, bribery and other work-related crimes. Eight of them have been taken into custody during the investigation.
