The Hebei Provincial Disciplinary Committee said the five, including Lubei police chief Ma Aijun, were charged with “serious breach of discipline and the law.” The Hebei Provincial Public Security Bureau separately announced on Tuesday that Ma’s deputy, Li, had been fired. Violence against four women at a barbecue restaurant on June 10 was widely condemned. CCTV footage circulating on the internet shows a man putting his hand on a woman’s back as she shared a meal with two of her companions. After the woman pushed him away, the man hit her before others pulled her out and caused him a storm of blows as he fell to the ground. Another woman was hit on the floor. Two women were admitted to hospital. Authorities initially said two others were slightly injured, but later it turned out that the injuries were more serious than reported. According to the state-run Global Times, the suspects fled the scene and police arrived almost half an hour later. Since then, nine men have been arrested for the attack. Attack – and violence against women in general – was one of the most talked about topics in China last week. But as Chinese journalists tried to cover it, some complained that their trips to Tangshan had been blocked by local authorities. On Tuesday, the Hebei provincial public security department said it was conducting “in-depth investigations into the untimely deployment of police… and serious breaches of discipline”. He acknowledged that the incident “had a negative impact and caused widespread concern”.
