Main perpetrator in brutal Tangshan restaurant attack gets 24-year sentence

A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced the ringleader of a criminal gang to 24 years in prison for his role in a violent attack on four women in Tangshan in June. That case sparked a national outcry about gender-based violence in the country and prompted local police in the northeastern city to investigate organized crimes and internal corruption.

The man, Chén Jìzhì 陈继志, was found guilty of eight offenses, including assault and other criminal activities unearthed during the investigation, such as robbery, illegal detention of others, and opening casinos, according to a verdict issued by the Guangyang District People’s Court in northern Hebei province.

Another 27 individuals, including five defendants who were involved in the attack, were handed jail terms ranging from sixth months to 11 years for “intentionally harming” the women and other gang-related crimes dating back to 2012, which had “harmed the local economy, disrupted public order, and caused a detrimental impact on society,” the court said.

Prosecutors also slapped Chen with a fine of 320,000 yuan ($44,680) while ordering other perpetrators in the attack to pay for the injured women’s medical costs and other related expenses.

The sentencing ended a closely watched case in which many Chinese women raised concerns for their personal safety. In early June, a group of men led by Chen beat up a woman and her female friends at a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan after she turned down unwanted attention from one of them.

The brutality of the assault sent shockwaves across Chinese social media, as surveillance footage of the incident showed the group of men using glass bottles, chairs, and fists to beat the four women. Although police were called to the scene as the violence unfolded, they failed to show up until the perpetrators had fled, leaving two women in the hospital. According to the ruling, two of the women suffered “second-degree minor injuries,” while the other two had “slight injuries.”

Initially, local police arrested nine people — seven men and two women — for the attack. But in the following months, authorities expanded the scope of the investigation beyond the original inquiry to include local gang violence and corruption.

Less than a week after the attack, the local government of Tangshan launched a two-month campaign to crack down on illegal activities, soliciting tips from the public about gang crimes and police misconduct. In August, the Hebei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection said that 15 officials were under investigation for suspected corruption that involved “evil organizations.”

None of the victims of the attack in June showed up for the trial on Thursday. In his court appearance, Chen reportedly made a tearful speech, saying he felt sorry for “the country, the city of Tangshan, and the victims.”