Citizens fail to help woman molested on bus

A woman was recently molested on a bus in central China's Henan Province, while others sat and watched, according to the local newspaper Dahe News.

A woman was recently molested on a bus in central China's Henan province, while others sat and watched, according to the local newspaper Dahe News.

The 22-year-old victim, Liu Le (pseudonym), was molested by a 51-year-old man on a bus on Dec 5. She tried to ward off the man with a handbag, but failed to keep the man from sexually harassing her.

Liu asked the bus driver to call the police but the driver paid no notice and kept driving, she told the Dahe News.

She then called her father, but was held down on the seat by the offender surnamed Wang who also tried to snatch her cell phone.

The driver later stopped the bus after hearing the demand from a man sitting at the back. Wang and other two men then dragged the woman off the bus, snatched her handbag and cell phone and beat her until she was unconscious.

Liu's father arrived later and the police arrested Wang. The other two men escaped.

"I am furious with the bus driver. Why did not he react to the passenger's call for help?" Liu's father said. He was also disappointed that no one on the bus helped his daughter.

The incident has generated numerous comments on China's news portals and social media, with many denouncing the bus driver and passengers for failing to take action. Some compared the incident to the notorious gang rape case on an Indian bus in 2012.

The offender has now been given 15 days administrative detention, and the driver has been dismissed.