A disturbing case in Shandong Province, China, has sparked widespread outrage after a sixth-grade girl endured months of horrific abuse at the hands of a male deskmate. The abuse, which included being stabbed in the thigh more than 200 times with a sewing awl, has been dismissed by local authorities and the school as not meeting the criteria for school bullying.

The boy, a transfer student, subjected the girl to months of violence and humiliation, forcing her to eat paper and pencil lead in addition to the stabbing. The brutal treatment took place at Zhangqiu Bilingual School in Jinan City, leaving the girl physically injured and emotionally traumatized.

In a series of videos posted online on September 8, the girl detailed the abuse, revealing that her attacker used objects such as compasses and a 7-8 cm long needle, which he repeatedly jammed into her leg, even during class. "It hurt so much, I wanted to die," the girl recounted, adding that she also faced social isolation from her peers.

When the girl reported the abuse to a teacher, she was dismissed and advised to visit the school health center. Instead of intervening, the teacher told her "not to provoke others," according to the South China Morning Post.

The girl's parents shared photos of her school uniform, riddled with holes from the stabbings, questioning how such severe violence could not be classified as bullying. They reported that their daughter had suffered numerous stab wounds to her legs over a three-month period, during which the school allegedly failed to protect her from repeated attacks.

"My daughter was stabbed hundreds of times, forced to eat paper, and nothing was done to protect her," the girl's mother said, expressing shock and frustration over the school's inaction.

The public backlash intensified after the family posted the videos online, drawing widespread attention and criticism. Chinese social media platform Weibo saw a flood of comments from users outraged by the school's and authorities response. 

Following the public outcry, local authorities, including the deputy district mayor responsible for education, visited the school. However, the response from school officials further fueled anger. A vote was conducted among 14 participants, including school officials, a lawyer, and a police officer, to determine if the incidents constituted bullying. Eight out of the 14 voted that the abuse did not meet the standards of school bullying.

Instead of pursuing criminal charges, authorities suggested civil mediation between the families involved. The girl's parents have demanded the boy's expulsion and a refund of two years of tuition, but the school has yet to agree.

The two students remain in the same grade, though they are no longer in the same class. Despite the minor separation, many are questioning how the school could have allowed such severe abuse to continue for months without taking action.

The case has reignited debate about the handling of bullying and violence in schools across China, with many calls for legal reforms to protect students from unchecked abuse and ensure accountability for those who perpetrate such acts.

Source: South China Morning Post & Xiaoxiang Morning Herald