Recently, a collective hunting incident targeting gay men was reported in Renmin Park, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. A group of assailants pretended to be gay, lured victims through dating apps to the park, and after confirming their identities, used sticks, batons, sprays, and other tools to intimidate and assault them. They even filmed the assault and uploaded the videos online, sparking public attention.
According to Caixin, citing information from relevant departments, the local public security authorities have apprehended 17 suspects involved in the case. Eleven were criminally detained, while six received administrative detention (of whom five, being under 16 years old, are not subject to enforcement). The report indicates that all those involved contacted each other online, repeatedly acting on impulse and committing the crimes after making temporary arrangements.
In related videos obtained by Caixin, there are three male victims, including both young and middle-aged men. In each video, about six or seven assailants are seen, who, while collectively beating the victim, keep asking, “Are you gay?” along with verbal abuse. In addition to attacking with their bare hands, the assailants also used sticks over one meter long, suspected expandable batons, and directly sprayed an unidentified substance into one victim’s eyes.
On Chinese social media, several male netizens have claimed that they were beaten in Zhengzhou Renmin Park, with incidents occurring this spring, in late May, and in early July. Some were attacked while on a date with another man, and some, fearing the exposure of their sexual orientation, did not report to the police after being victimized.
One person claiming to be a victim’s relative told Caixin their relative is not gay but, after being asked “Do you like men?” was still beaten.
A WeChat public account pointed out that videos circulating online show a group of young people holding sticks surrounding and chasing a man in Renmin Park, repeatedly asking the man, “Are you a 1?” “Are you here to find a man?” and other humiliating language.
If the victim tried to run away, the assailants would beat him even more ruthlessly; if the victim knelt in plea, the attackers would pin him down and kick and punch him fiercely, reminding each other “Don’t hit the head” while continuing the attack. Only when victims managed to escape to the road did the group cease their assault.
This group of assailants not only attacked gay men but would also target lone males in the park, questioning them, “Are you a 1 or a 0?” If the person ignored them, the group would resort to violence.
Although related information had circulated online for some time, Zhengzhou police did not take action until the case came to media attention on July 8. On July 11, Caixin attempted to verify the incident details with Zhengzhou and related departments but received no response.
Zhengzhou PSB’s Erqi branch stated that media inquiries about cases should be referred to the Zhengzhou Public Security Bureau’s news and publicity department; the Political Department of the same bureau hung up after answering Caixin’s call. The phone numbers published for Zhengzhou and Erqi district’s news release offices went unanswered. A netizen commented below Caixin’s report: “Nothing that happens in Zhengzhou is surprising.” (News source: United Daily News)