Government statement on "15-year-old girl beaten up in public" incident Photo: screenshot of Jiaxian county People's Government

After video clips of "two people beat up a girl in public" in a county in Central China's Henan Province went viral and attracted public roar over the violence in recent days, local government released updates of the case late Tuesday, saying the two suspects have been arrested. 

On Thursday evening, an incident of affray and assault occurred on the road outside Ciba township Health Center in Jiaxian county, triggered by a collision between two electric bikes, which caused adverse social impacts, according to the statement released by Jiaxian county people's government on its website. The public security organs took swift action to fully investigate the case and notified the progress of the case, according to the statement.

Photo: screenshot of videos circulating online

At 19:40 on February 19, 2026, Ding Moule (female, 15 years old) and her younger brother Ding Mouluo (male, 12 years old) rode an electric bike to a snack shop to buy snacks. On the way, they collided with another electric bike ridden by Yang Mou (female, 65 years old), leading to a verbal dispute between the two parties. Yang Mou then called her son Liu Moufei to the scene.

At 19:45, after Liu Moufei and his wife Han Mouna arrived at the scene, they mistakenly believed that Guo Mou (female, 27 years old), Zhang Moufan (female, 38 years old) and Xue Mouyuan (male, 15 years old) present at the scene had verbally insulted his mother, so they assaulted the three people. After realizing they had beaten the wrong people, they then beat up Ding Moule.

At 19:48, after receiving the call for police, Ciba police station of Jiaxian county quickly dispatched police to the scene, and summoned Liu Moufei and Han Mouna to the police station for investigation.

After the incident, the victims were sent to Jiaxian Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for treatment. On February 22, Ding Moule was identified as suffering from a second-degree minor injury after an appraisal and is currently receiving treatment with stable conditions; Xue Mouyuan was treated as an outpatient and discharged from the hospital on February 20 without the need for hospitalization; Guo Mou and Zhang Moufan were discharged from the hospital on February 23 after being hospitalized for treatment.

Upon investigation, the criminal suspects are Liu Moufei, 42, from Liucun village of Ciba township, Jiaxian county, an individual business owner, and Han Mouna, female, 42, unemployed. On February 21, Jiaxian Public Security Bureau took criminal compulsory measures against Liu and Han; on February 24, Jiaxian People's Procuratorate approved the arrest of the two on suspicion of "the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble," read the government statement. 

The county government vowed to adhere to a zero-tolerance attitude, and resolutely punish illegal and criminal acts such as infringement on minors and disturbing public order in accordance with the law, and will never show mercy. It also expressed appreciation to media and netizens for their supervision and support for work.

Earlier on Saturday, the county government had issued a first situation update with a brief summary of the situation, saying Liu Moufei and Han Mouna had been taken criminal compulsory measures and the case was under further investigation. 


Global Times