China: Video of girl being attacked by man as bystanders do nothing goes viral

A video showing a girl being brutally beaten by a man in a Beijing hotel has gone viral across China, with four million hits and sparking debate about misogynist violence. The girl, who calls herself Wanwan_2016, is seen being attacked as she exits an elevator at the boutique Yitel Hotel by a man she claims is a complete stranger. She is grabbed and dragged towards a staircase as passers-by do nothing to help, and is only saved from abduction by the intervention of another woman.

After obtaining a copy of the video from security staff Wanwan uploaded the video to China's version of Twitter, Sina Weibo, claiming the man approached her in a corridor and asked which room she was staying in. "I said 'What do you want? I don't know you' and then he started to drag me away. He clutched my neck and face so I couldn't breathe. When I tried to run downstairs, he grabbed me by the hair and dragged me towards the stairway."

A hotel worker appears to be fully aware of what is happening but does nothing. Wanwan claimed he thought she and the man were having a private argument and did not want to get involved. Other guests are also seen walking blithely past as she is subjected to the humiliating ordeal. Beijing police are investigating the incident, which took place on 3 April. The man has not been identified.

The parent company of Yitel hotel, HomeInns, put out a statement saying: "The hotel staff tried to separate them after hearing the noise. The man then made a phone call and tried to take the woman away. The woman sat down on the ground and called the police. When the man tried to drag the woman towards the emergency exit, he was stopped by a female customer and a hotel guard.

"We established a special team to investigate the case after learning of the suffering of Ms. 'Wanwan.' We also tried to contact her but failed to find her. We hope 'Wanwan' will contact us. We need her help to bring the attacker to justice."

The attack provoked an outcry on social media, with many users worried that a spate of similar incidents in recent years have shown the Chinese in a bad light. In 2015 a CCTV emerged of a 57-year-old man staggering before collapsing by a road. Cars and pedestrians ignored him and he later died. In 2011 another video emerged of a two-year-old girl being hit by a car and left on the road as people ignored her. She also died of her injuries.