Chinese netizens slam police for not arresting man filmed touching daughter inappropriately on train

Hugs and kisses are supposed to be signs of affection but one father in China took them way too far.

A 30-year-old man was caught touching his 5-year-old daughter aggressively on a high-speed rail ride in Guangzhou.

In a video clip filmed by a fellow passenger, he was seen lifting her blouse, caressing her back and kissing her face repeatedly. The man even slid a hand into the child's pants at one point in time.

All this happened while his wife and mother-in-law were sitting next to him.

The girl's attempts to push him away were futile. Despite the child saying "Daddy, I'm in pain. Stop touching my bottom," the women continued to use their mobile phones and did nothing to stop the man's wandering hands.

Disturbed by what she saw, the passenger made a police report on the alleged molestation and sent the video clip to a local newspaper on Oct 28 in hopes that the lecherous man would be punished.

After the news made its rounds online, the police investigated the case but its response shocked Chinese netizens.

In a statement on Wednesday (Oct 31), the police confirmed that the man and girl in the video clip are indeed father and child, and determined that the man's actions did not constitute sexual assault.

The Weibo post received over 20,000 comments from enraged netizens who questioned the integrity of the police.

One wrote: "I don't know the definition of sexual assault anymore if this doesn't count as molestation." Another asked: "This is not molestation because they are father and daughter?"

Last August, an 18-year-old man was photographed molesting his adopted sister at a train station in Nanjing.

After photos of the incident were circulated online, he was subsequently arrested and his parents were questioned by local authorities. The girl was placed in the care of others.

minlee@sph.com.sg