Two women in China have been charged with child abuse after they separated a crying baby girl from her grandmother and locked her in a plane toilet to “educate” her. BBCThe incident happened on August 24 on a Juneyao Airlines flight from the southwestern city of Guiyang to Shanghai. The little girl, who was traveling with her grandmother, started crying during the flight, after which two female passengers locked the distressed girl in the toilet and said they were trying to help others.
The incident went viral on the Chinese internet after one of the two women, named Gao Tingting, posted a video of herself carrying the baby inside the toilet. The clip also showed the other woman telling the baby that she could only leave the bathroom if she stopped crying. According to the report, they presented themselves as trying to help others. BBCHowever, many on the internet accused the two of “bullying” the child and lacking empathy.
On the other hand, the airline said that the girl’s grandmother had agreed to allow the two women to take the girl to the toilet. It also said that it had also spoken to the girl’s mother, who was not on the flight, and that she “expressed her understanding” about the women’s behaviour. The Guardian Report.
But shortly after the video was posted online, many people criticised the women for lacking “empathy” and “bullying” the child. Responding to the criticism, Ms Gou said she “preferred to take action rather than remain a bystander”. “I just wanted to calm the child down and let everyone relax,” she wrote on Chinese social media platform Douyin. The woman also reported that some passengers “moved to the back of the plane to avoid the noise” while others stuffed tissues in their ears.
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However, Ms Gau’s explanation did not quell public outrage and her social media account has been made private. “Children can’t control their emotions at the age of one or two. What’s wrong with crying? Didn’t you cry as a child too?” one user wrote. BBC,
Another user, concerned about the psychological impact it would have on the girl, said, “We should think about how public spaces can better accept and accommodate young children.”
But there were some who defended the women, saying their actions were justified because the girl’s grandmother had given her consent. “Honestly, some kids can’t live without education,” wrote one user.
