Police probe reports of attempted abduction in Beijing hotel

World Today

https://youtu.be/Q4mieEJ0RlI

A video of a woman forced to leave with a physically abusive stranger as onlookers sluggishly reacted, went viral on Tuesday in China.

Chaoyang police confirmed on Tuesday to Beijing News an attack took place at the hotel, stating that the woman did not suffer from any physical harm or property losses. Police said the man “could have been intoxicated”, but added that investigation is still ongoing.

The clip, uploaded by the victim who goes by the name Wanwan, showed the moment she was dragged and attacked by a man at an elevator lobby of a hotel.

Wanwan told a Beijing News reporter she had just returned to the hotel from a gathering with friends when the incident took place, last Sunday night.

CCTV screenshot.

CCTV screenshot.

CCTV screenshot.

CCTV screenshot.

The girl added that while she was looking for her room card, a man in a black coat approached her and asked about her room number. Alert, she refused to divulge information. But little did Wanwan know, the stranger would unexpectedly start dragging her, forcing her to leave with him.

Wanwan recalls the struggle of escaping the attacker’s grip who soon turned violent, pulling her by the hair, and tightly grasping her neck.

A hotel cleaner, who was witnessing the incident, failed to answer to Wanwan’s appeals for help however. As he came up, he was heard saying “it’s not good to fight here”, but did not attempt to remove the man.

Wanwan tried to break out when the assailant attempted to ring his friend for backup, but was again overthrown and dragged towards a nearby staircase.

Luckily, a female guest at the hotel rushed to help upon her arrival to the scene, snatching Wanwan from the hands of aggressor.

The noise drew an increasingly larger crowd of onlookers, and the man fled away before either the hotel management or the police reached the scene.

Wanwan had a different opinion about the police’s reaction. She took to Weibo to express disappointment towards what she dubbed as “police’s low efficiency”, claiming she was put on hold as the investigator who was supposed to handle her case was out of town.

Wanwan also criticized the hotel administration for its indifference to what happened to her within the premises of the establishment. “The shift manager disappeared and could not be reached the next day,” she said in a Weibo post. “I urged the receptionist to contact their senior management, and the manager advised me to wait for what the results of the police investigation,” she went on.

The hotel’s parent company, Home Inns, issued two cautiously-worded statements on Wednesday, saying they had investigated the incident and would cooperate with the police, but offered no apology.

The hotel said one of the staff members tried to defuse the situation, and claimed the management attempted to contact Wanwan, but without any success. “We hope Wanwan could contact us soon for proper communication. We also need her assistance to bring the criminal to justice,” the statement read, to which Wanwan replied by asking the hotel to “modify the false part in the statement” and “offer a public apology”.

HomeInn's Statement.

HomeInn’s Statement.

The story has triggered heated discussions online. While many voiced support for Wanwan, some called on women to take caution when out by themselves.

“You’re courageous. Thank you for stepping up and telling your story, it could help protect many single ladies like you,”@woshijiangshenga.

“Luckily you’re safe and sound; please take care, brave girl,”@huashouaijiu.

“Wanwan had my full support! A thorough investigation should be conducted to hold both the hotel and the criminal accountable,”@niaochaoaxin.

“Girls should be cautious while they are outside alone,”@sishuiliulian.

Story by CCTV News.