The man behind a vicious and unprovoked attack on a lone woman in Dalian has been apprehended by police, according to numerous media reports. The attacker’s arrest was officially announced at around 11.40pm on Tuesday night in a statement by Dalian police.

According to China Daily, the 31-year-old man, surnamed Wang, has confessed to the horrendous crime and authorities have said the attack occurred while he was drunk. It has also been heavily reported that Wang’s assault on the woman followed an emotional dispute with his girlfriend.



Suspect Wang. Image via @环球时报/Weibo

The attack in question occurred at around 12.40am on June 22. Video footage of the assault shows Wang punching a woman who is walking on the sidewalk and looking at her mobile phone. In reaction to the violent blow to the face, the woman immediately falls to the ground, where Wang goes on to punch her 18 more times, as well as deliver 10 kicks to her body and head. In total, 26 of the blows were to the victim’s head.

At one point in the footage it appears the man is trying to take off the woman’s shorts or skirt. The video ends with the attacker dragging the limp victim off screen by her hair. We have chosen not to include the video in this post due to its graphic nature.



The attacker dragging the woman from the scene of the crime. Screengrab via the Cover

Thankfully, the woman survived the ambush and was able to call police for help. She was transported to the hospital to receive treatment for unspecified facial wounds and has since been discharged and returned home.

READ MORE: Woman Viciously Assaulted in China, Attacker's Whereabouts Unknown



In the wake of the video footage of the attack surfacing online on June 24, police across the country scrambled to identify the woman, the perpetrator and even the city the attack occurred in. Unfortunately, whoever uploaded the surveillance footage online failed to include details such as the location of the security camera.

The resulting confusion led at least two Chinese cities to open investigations into the attack, Dalian in Liaoning province and Mianyang in Sichuan. Rumors were also circulating online that the attack occurred in Guangdong, something police in the province quickly denied.

As a result of their slow acknowledgement of the case, Dalian police have faced considerable criticism both in state-run media and from netizens. Yesterday evening, Global Times ran an article titled ‘Dalian police face criticism over delayed announcement of female assault case,’ which notes that netizens are questioning why it took the city’s police force two days to make a public announcement about the attack.

One popular comment on Weibo reads: “Dalian police: Established on June 25, 2019.”



Suspect Wang. Image via @环球时报/Weibo

It’s not entirely clear what kind of punishment Wang will face for his barbaric actions, and numerous legal experts have chimed in to offer insight. According to Beijing-based lawyer Zhao Lei, who spoke to China Daily, Wang could face more than five years in prison due to the severity of his crimes.

Other legal experts have offered different predictions, ranging from 15 days of administrative detention and the payment of the victim’s medical expenses to no more than three years behind bars.

[Cover image via @杭城/Weibo]

