A tragic incident occurred in Wuhan, where an elementary school student was accidentally run over and killed by a teacher’s car on school grounds. The grieving parents, already devastated by the loss of their only child, were further subjected to intense pressure from the police and online harassment driven by official narratives, which eventually led the young mother to take her own life. Meanwhile, authorities continued to steer public opinion to blame online violence while censoring information related to the case.
The incident took place on May 23, 2023, at Hongqiao Primary School in Wuhan’s Hanyang District. A first-grader named Tan was picking up a paper airplane in front of a car when teacher Liu, unaware of the child’s presence, started the vehicle, accidentally running over the boy and causing his death.
Tan’s parents, grieving the loss of their beloved son, protested at the school entrance with banners demanding justice. After several days of negotiations, the Hanyang District Education Bureau agreed to provide compensation, and the school’s principal and vice-principal were dismissed. The teacher responsible for the incident was detained.
However, the situation escalated when the boy’s mother, Yang, faced a barrage of online abuse. Despite her visible grief, some internet users criticized her for appearing well-dressed and accused her of using her child’s death to extort money.
On June 2, 2023, overwhelmed by grief and online harassment, Yang jumped to her death from the 24th floor of her building. Her husband, mentally shattered by the loss, was later taken to the hospital, restrained on a stretcher.
Despite Yang’s tragic death, the online abuse did not stop. Some commenters speculated that the family had recently received 2.6 million yuan in compensation from the education bureau, the school, the insurance company, and the driver, and cruelly suggested that Tan could now find someone new.
Veteran lawyer Zhang Tingyuan pointed out that Chinese society suffers from a lack of basic education in common sense and humanity, leading many to exploit others’ pain to display their worst instincts. He emphasized that such behavior has become alarmingly common.
Zhang stated, “The lack of kind-hearted commentary is all too common in reality, with many remarks devoid of humanity. I feel that society as a whole is not in a good state. For many years, we have lacked education in common sense and goodwill. Additionally, the widespread social injustice has led to a disheartening display of human cruelty.”
Senior journalists also criticized the simplistic blame placed on online harassment for the tragedy, calling it hypocritical. In an article titled “The Basket of ‘Online Violence’ Cannot Hold Your Cowardice,” veteran journalist Sun Xuyang argued that blaming everything on online violence while ignoring the difficulties victims face in seeking justice is inherently deceitful.
Former senior journalist Qin Xudong also noted that attributing the tragedy to online harassment alone oversimplifies a complex issue, concealing the real problems and providing a pretext for further internet censorship and speech control.
An anonymous independent media commentator claimed that the real culprit behind Yang’s suicide was the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). Based on existing comments, the commentator suggested that this case exemplifies how public opinion is manipulated by the CAC in Hubei.
The commentator explained, “In cases like this, the authorities follow a set procedure to divert public attention away from the event itself. This is their usual method of operation whenever a negative situation arises. They rely on naïve people to shift the topic. It’s very sad, you know?”
The commentator further stated that these official online manipulators consist of two main groups: independent media contracted by the local government, who perform these tasks for money, and government employees who collectively promote a unified narrative on specific topics.
In reality, the CAC imposes strict control over comments on all domestic websites. In cases involving social hotspots, any unapproved or offensive comments are immediately deleted. However, malicious attacks on the grieving Tan family were allowed to circulate unchecked.
Additionally, video evidence showed that before her suicide, Yang appeared calm but expressed her despair through deliberate accusations. She explicitly stated that after her child’s death, neither the principal nor the teachers offered any condolences, and the police directly threatened her, forbidding her from displaying banners at the school.
After Yang’s suicide, despite the ongoing public outcry, authorities continued to suppress information. Even details about her death, such as the exact time and location, were completely obscured. By noon on Saturday, June 3, 2023, several major news websites had already removed reports about her suicide.
When contacted for comment, a duty officer at the Hanyang Public Security Bureau acknowledged awareness of the incident but claimed to be uninformed about the details.
The Hanyang Education Bureau and the Wuhan Cyberspace Administration Office, responsible for online public opinion management, both declined to respond to calls.