Wang Zang’s son, a dissident poet who had just been released from a four-year sentence for “inciting subversion of state power” in May, recently suffered bullying on campus, resulting in a fracture of the right temporal bone and right maxilla bone. It took several interactions with the police over a week to finally file a case, but it was done administratively rather than criminally.
Attending the first year of high school at Zixi Middle School in Chuxiong, Yunnan, Wang Zang’s son, Wang Nianci, was bullied on September 12 at school. Four senior students cornered him in the restroom, with one punching him hard in the mouth and nose, causing his head to hit the wall. Hospital examinations revealed fractures in his right temporal bone and right maxilla bone.
Around 9:30 p.m. that evening, Wang Zang and his wife rushed to the school upon receiving a call, only to find their son with a swollen nose and face, hands bloody.
They immediately took their son to the nearby police station to report the incident. The police recorded their statement and summoned the four students involved for questioning. However, the police did not file a case or provide any feedback.
Unbelievably, the school asked parents not to overreact to the incident and told Wang Nianci, “If you don’t want to study, you might as well drop out or transfer.”
On the afternoon of September 15, instructors from the Xicheng Police Station in Chuxiong City notified Wang Zang and his wife to discuss the progress of their son’s assault case. At the police station, the instructors stated that they had conducted a thorough investigation since receiving the report, explaining the delays in issuing a receipt and informing them of the case progress. They assured the couple that the police would handle the matter according to the law. Subsequently, they provided Wang Li with a “Three-part Receipt for Receiving Police Reports (Receipt),” with the case categorized as a dispute.
In the days following the assault, Wang Nianci experienced intermittent worsening headaches at night. Wang Zang and his wife took their son to the Chuxiong State Hospital to determine a treatment plan, but the neurosurgery specialist happened to be on leave. On the morning of September 15, they went to another public hospital, Chuxiong City Hospital, for a diagnosis, which revealed a fracture in the right temporal bone and right maxilla bone. Wang Li remarked, “Two fractures – the attacker was brutal.”
Persistently, Wang Zang and his wife demanded that the police file a case and hold the school and education authorities accountable. However, the police asked them to wait.
With attention from the media at home and abroad, the police station finally filed the case on September 18, yet it was administrative, not criminal.
On September 19, Wang Zang and his wife visited the “Chuxiong Zhongda Judicial Appraisal Center” as stated on the appointment letter from the police station. They found a notice on the closed door stating that the center was temporarily closed for a learning program from September 18 to 24 and would resume on September 25.
The online community has rallied support for Wang Zang’s son, who was bullied on campus. “Due to political reasons, the Wang couple spent two and a half and four years in prison, leaving their four children without parental love. The harm caused is immeasurable. Now, their son has fallen victim to such cruelty, sparking outrage among netizens.” “A fracture is considered a minor injury sufficient for filing a case.” “This bullying incident calls for law enforcement to fulfill its duties and hold the perpetrators accountable.”