Post Claims Teacher Inaction While Classmates Beat Student to Death

Translate: 网帖称初中生被同学打死 校长老师围观未制止 from Sina

The boy's body

Several children told me that the teachers as well as students witnessed the violence, but no one did anything to stop the brutality. Eventually, my child was beaten to death next to the school front gate.

--Mother of the victim

"Ninth Grade Student Wang Zhenyu (王振雨) from Qipan Middle School in Xinyi, Jiangsu Killed" was one of the hot forum posts on November 21st. The post described a lethal beating that occurred on the evening of November 17th. When Wang Zhenyu tried to stop three fellow students from punching his head class teacher, the gang turned on him instead. One photo showed Wang's body covered by bruises from head-to-toe.

The Post

According to the post, Wang Zhenyu was a star pupil in Xinyi's Qipan Middle School (新沂市棋盘中学). "Wang got out of night class around 7PM on the evening of 17th. Just as he was leaving school to go home, three classmates stopped him at the gate and killed him. The 3 students then fled. Witnesses say that school principal Mr. Xu and three other teachers watched the entire beating from the school yard. They did nothing. The child might have survived if they acted, yet they all turned a blind eye. Principal and teachers, do you deserve the honor and respect that the society bestows on you? You are supposed to lead the students, guide them, and care for them. Where has your conscience gone?"

"20 minutes later, one kindhearted teacher called 120 because he noticed that Wang was in grave condition. Wang's family immediately rushed to the scene. Despite of multiple inquiries, the school [to date] still has not given any reply regarding Wang's murder. Where is justice? Do we have to swallow Wang's senseless death?"

The post provided the victim's family phone number. Shocked by the story, Netizens exclaimed: How could this have happened? Why isn't the school doing anything? How could the students dare to openly commit murder?

Wang's Mother

The reporter phoned the number in the post. The person who received this call said that her last name is Yang and she is the child's mother. Choking back tears, she told the reporter: "My son went to take the English exam on the 15th. Several kids wanted to turn in their tests early, but the teacher proctor wouldn't let them. My son asked them to stop when he saw that the gang began hitting the teacher. They took offense. On the evening of the 17th, those 3 kids sought my son out and proceeded to beat him. Several children said that teachers as well as students witnessed the violence, but no one did anything to stop the brutality. Eventually, my child was beaten to death next to the school front gate. When I arrived at the school, the school principal, teachers, and students were still standing there, just looking on. No one stepped forward to check on my son."　　

Mrs. Yang said that the school has been unresponsive ever since the lethal incident.



Mrs. Yang continued: "I learned from some student witnesses that the school doesn't let them talk about the incident. All I know so far is that the last name of those 3 kids is Shen. One even has the nickname "Mayor Shen." Every year, fellow students must give him presents on his lunar as well as solar calendar birthdays. Either that or they are beaten up. Mayor Shen makes 20,000 to 30,000 yuan at school alone. I also heard that this kid has [powerful] relatives in Beijing, and the family is well-connected with people 'up there.' We are desperate. Going online and seeking help is our last resort. But our article was deleted as soon as it was posted. Even our internet connection is down." The reporter researched for related posts, and, sure enough, the local discussion board has already removed the thread.

Mrs. Yang said that she just want an explanation, but there was nowhere for her to turn. Dissatisfied with the school's silence, the family have placed Wang's dead body in the school building lobby.

Police Department and Middle School

On the 21st, the reporter called Xinyi's police department and Qipan's school office. None of the calls were answered.

Soon after, the reporter discovered a news item on Xinyi's official city website. It was dated November 19th: "At 7:50PM on November 17th, Qipian Middle School students Shen Number 1, Shen Number 2, and Shen Number 3 engaged in a fight with victim student Wang outside of school. Wang was killed. The 3 students have been detained by the police. Further investigation and other related compensatory work are currently in full swing."

The most popular comments:

天边的闪电 from Changchun, Jilin 2010-11-23 10:32:17

If my kid were murdered and the court didn't order the death penalty, I would personally kill the murderers. If they were merely sent to prison, I would kill them after they got out!!!

悟禅室主人 from Ningbo, Zhejiang 2010-11-23 07:48:26

"Every year, fellow students must give him presents on his lunar as well as solar calendar birthdays. Either that or they got beaten up. Mayor Shen makes 20,000 to 30,000 yuan in school alone." Who created this venomous snake?

xajwdy52 from Hangzhou, Zhejiang 2010-11-23 10:41:09

Anybody believes that these 3 will become useful members of the society? They are a social danger if allowed to live. Those who agree vote me up.

chenmo from Suzhou, Jiangsu 2010-11-23 07:27:54

If I were the parent, none of those teachers and students who let my kid die would live out the year!

xinzhongderiyue1 from Xuzhou, Jiangsu 2010-11-23 08:12:01

I teach at Qipan Middle School, and I would like to clarify a few things:

(1) The student was killed on a street outside of school grounds after school dismissal (the cause of death was head trauma by a brick). The incident did not take place at school.

(2) The school director received a phone call after the incident had taken place, and within 2 minutes, he arrived on scene. He simultaneously notified the principal and vice principal, who came 5 minutes later.

(3) The school management and teachers sent the child to the county hospital as quickly as they could, but he died on the way.

(4) It was not true that the principal and teachers turned a blind eye. If so, they don't even deserve to be called human, let alone teachers. Anyone with a conscience would not have done this. Do not trust in rumors.

(5) Xinyi laws prohibit alcohol, disallowing alcohol purchase with public funds on any evening during the work week. How could the school principal have been drinking? This is utter slander.

(6) The three killers have been arrested and will be dealt with according to law.

The latest developments:

There is nothing complicated about this incident, and the school personnel did not engage in any of the aforementioned shocking behaviors. I think bystanders should try to keep a level-head. Do not believe the parents' one sided story so blindly.

We express our deepest condolences to the family, and such a tragedy hurts us all. The teachers especially do not wish to see something like this happen. We shall take this case as a warning sign and do a better job at educating and managing students. But, we ask the parents to please be more reasonable. They think the school is the only party they can get something out of, so they place the dead child in school. Since tomorrow is Monday, I don't even know if the students' classes can go on normally. I think the society should pay a little bit more attention to the school and to other students' right to receive an education. Try to put yourself in our shoes and in other parents' shoes.

gsh442300 from Shenzhen, Guangdong 2010-11-23 09:25:05

I believe this is the truth. Most people who replied are retards. Really, there are many adults nowadays like Wang's parents. They don't tolerate any loss and will do anything to get back at others, even when the other parties had no hand in their suffering. What do they care about justice and conscience, as long as they get what they want?

Anonymous from Beijing 2010-11-23 10:00:14

Those who believe in what you just said are the real trash and retards. Do you possess any humanity? -- If this were your kid, would you still say the same thing?

平静如水 3 from Shanghai 2010-11-23 11:13:25

The school cannot shrug off all responsibility.

But the main culprits are those 3 rascals and their parents. Don't be confused.

提交4 from Jinan, Shang 2010-11-23 11:16:46

Oh, so, blame the school for everything. How shameless you are.

hawk from Shanghai 2010-11-23 11:22:24

Of course the school is accountable. What is their job? Isn't educating students in their job description? These bullies did not appear out of nowhere. Do you dare to deny that the school royally messed up when teaching them? Don't you think the school is responsible when its students started killing people on campus? Teachers, on the whole, enjoy one of the highest salaries in the country. Shouldn't that money induce some sense of responsibility?

jeeney2010 from Beijing 2010-11-23 09:09:41

I believe this teacher, but that doesn't totally excuse the school. Because the students are all from this school, it should bear the most responsibility, followed by the parents. The case appears similar to Li Gang killing. But Li Gang's son did not intentionally kill, while these Shen children premeditated the murder. They all have this mentality that they can get away with whatever they do, like that palace eunuch's god-grandchild Chang Wei from the movie Hail the Judge, yet their crime is much more serious than in the Li Gang case. The teachers and students must have known what kind of people these kids were, because the extortion had gone on for some time. Why do the kids bother to attend school in the first place? Li Gang came out. I think the Shen god-granddaddy¹ should show his face too.

1123qs from Ningbo, Zhejiang 2010-11-23 09:01:16

Don't the teachers know they will be reprimanded for not doing anything? Of course they do.

But why didn't they? Because they are afraid of more terrible things happening to them. They did nothing out of self-preservation!

Many things have roots in the larger environment. Don't just criticize the teachers. There isn't a teacher in the world who doesn't like obedient good students!

wangxiong5566112 from Chongqing 2010-11-23 20:35:27

Some teachers are wolves wearing lamb skin!

qingp from Changsha, Hunan 2010-11-23 20:39:05

Don't be so harsh. The teachers have to eat, keep their job, and feed their families. What would they do if the school fired them? The politicians have too much power and too much money (can't compare with nouveau riche though). Too many wealthy people running around, and anything can be bought, including human life! What can a few teachers accomplish? The real issue here is that in this country money and status mean unlimited power!!!

Zhang Da from Beijing 2010-11-23 10:40:26

School has become another stratified society. Powerful parents produce bully children.

wruifeng from Beijing 2010-11-23 21:38:17

Don't rely on the society to give you any help. If you have any blood in you, find the 3 garbage specimens and exact blood revenge. This world has no justice!

¹ The Chinese word used here is 干爷爷. I know there is Godparent. What is the equivalent if the person belongs to grandparent's generation?