Chinese man slaps granddaughter, 4, in the face for being scared of escalator
Police detain 49-year-old relative after footage of his violent attack sparks fury online
A 49-year-old man from central China who slapped his four-year-old granddaughter in the face, giving her a nosebleed, was given five days’ detention, local media reported.
The incident, which was caught on camera and uploaded to the internet, happened in a supermarket in Yongzhou, Hunan province, China Youth Daily reported on Monday.
The footage shows the child, with blood on her face and top, being tended to by a female shop assistant. There are spatters of blood on the floor at her feet, and the child’s grandfather and her one-year-old brother are standing watching.
A moment later, the man pushes the woman aside, takes the child’s head in his hands and violently slaps her across the face.
The woman and a second employee intervene to protect the youngster, who is clearly distraught.
The report did not say when the incident happened, but the footage was circulated online over the weekend. One internet user said the man “did not deserve to be a parent”, while others contacted the police.
A statement by Yongzhou police issued on Sunday afternoon said that the man had taken the two children shopping, but became angry with the little girl when she refused to leave. She was apparently scared of the escalator and refused to get on it.
The grandfather lost his temper and slapped her in the face, causing the nosebleed, the statement said. Two supermarket employees went to help, and they are the people seen in the video footage.
The man apparently told police that he slapped the child the second time because she would not stop crying.
When the police contacted the girl’s parents, they appealed for leniency for the grandfather, but he was detained as the child had sustained minor injuries, the report said.