On the afternoon of August 28th, in Qingdao, Shandong Province, a woman driving a Land Rover reversed and cut in line, accidentally rear-ending a bus. After getting out of the car, the woman assaulted the bus driver, Lin, who was driving normally, causing him to have a nosebleed. Lin did not retaliate. As the public awaited further action from the authorities, the latest update from the Qingdao police revealed that the “Land Rover woman,” Wang, was not considered to have committed provocation and troublemaking, sparking controversy.
On the afternoon of September 3rd, the Qingdao Public Security Bureau released a briefing on the case of “Wang driving in reverse, verbally abusing, and physically assaulting others.”
According to the briefing, Wang, 38 years old, previously ran a tea shop and engaged in individual transportation but currently has no fixed occupation. After the incident, she expressed remorse, wrote an apology letter, and was willing to cover medical expenses and compensate for the damages.
The briefing also stated that based on a comprehensive investigation of the case, it was deemed a traffic dispute and did not meet the criteria for provocation and troublemaking behavior.
Furthermore, Wang was given a ten-day administrative detention for physically assaulting others, fined 500 yuan for insulting behavior, 200 yuan for driving in the wrong direction, and had 3 points deducted from her driver’s license.
The Qingdao police’s briefing stirred up discussions on the internet.
Professor Yu Jianrong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences commented, “There is a saying in China that hitting people without hitting their dignity. Wang repeatedly slapped Lin’s face in front of others, clearly intending to publicly humiliate Lin. This undoubtedly tramples on Lin’s dignity. The police only fined Wang 500 yuan for insulting behavior, showing a lack of understanding of the seriousness and legal responsibility of Wang’s insult.”
Lawyer Yang Wenzhan from Beijing Zhongdun Law Firm stated in a blog post, “The Qingdao police’s announcement of this case is relatively detailed, but I cannot comprehend the conclusion.”
Current affairs blogger and Weibo influencer “Don’t Panic, Sir” remarked, “What is miraculous about this briefing? It gives the feeling that the entire article is written from the perspective of the perpetrator, constantly finding excuses for them.”
Reporter Wang Weichen of “Sports Weekly” posted on Weibo, “Nearly ten thousand comments are all questioning and expressing dissatisfaction. The core of everyone’s dissatisfaction is that law-abiding behavior should not be compromised for illegal acts.”
Video editor and Weibo influencer “I Can’t Remember My Nickname” shared the provisions of the “provocation and troublemaking” offense and commented, “Why is the all-powerful provocation and troublemaking offense suddenly ineffective?”
Netizens responded, “This kind of announcement will continue to appear, referencing the Tangshan assault incident.”
“Dim Starlight H” said, “Why was the person who slapped the teacher sentenced to a year and a half? Is there such a big disparity?”
In July 2018, a 32-year-old driver named Chang from Luoyang, Henan, had an encounter with his middle school teacher from the same village. Remembering being beaten 20 years ago, Chang slapped the teacher four times and recorded a video, leading to his sentencing to a year and a half for provocation and troublemaking.