Three boys and one girl have been arrested following the release of a viral bullying video showing a male student being surrounded and slapped eight times by his schoolmates.
The approximately five-minute-and-twenty-second video shows the victim cornered by two boys and one girl on a staircase. One of the assailants is wearing gray pants, while the others are dressed in blue school uniforms.
In the footage, the victim is slapped repeatedly while a female student pulls his hair and kicks him. A male voice can be heard accusing the victim of insulting his family—a claim the victim denies.
Throughout the altercation, the students made intimidating remarks in both Mandarin and Cantonese. The confrontation ends with demands for an apology from the victim, who continues to be slapped before the assailants offer a conciliatory gesture, saying, "We won’t mess with you anymore."
Sources suggest that all the students involved attend Saint Francis of Assisi's College in Fanling. The incident is believed to have occurred in June following a dispute over a romantic interest.
Police stated that they received a report about the incident, which took place at the Queen’s Hill Shopping Mall, in July. The four students—three boys aged 14 and 15, and a 13-year-old girl—were arrested between July 10 and September 12.
Further investigation revealed that the 15-year-old victim, Wong, had been coerced into transferring nearly HK$10,000 to one of the students, Hung, under threat of violence. The bullying only came to light after Wong’s father discovered unusual WeChat transactions.
Reports indicate that Wong provided HK$1,300 in cash in April and transferred approximately 7,808 yuan (around HK$8,532) via WeChat in June.
The four students were arrested on charges of "common assault," while Hung faces additional charges of “making an unwarranted demand with menaces” and “theft.”
All arrested individuals have been granted bail and are required to report to the police in mid-October.
In response to Sing Tao Daily, the sister publication of The Standard, Saint Francis of Assisi's College stated that it has been seriously following up on the incident. A crisis management task force is working closely with authorities, parents, school sponsoring bodies, and social workers.
The school further emphasized its “zero tolerance” policy toward bullying and does not accept any form of or justification for bullying behavior.
