What’s new: Jiangsu has decided to set up an investigation team to look into the case of a mother of eight who was found shackled to the wall of a shed and is suspected of being trafficked.
The government of the eastern Chinese province vowed to find out the truth, saying it will “severely” punish any criminal acts linked to the case and held related people accountable, state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday.
Authorities will make public their investigation results, the report said.
The background: The report was published over two weeks after a video of the shackled woman in Feng county, administered by the city of Xuzhou, was posted on Chinese social media, going viral and causing public uproar over the Lunar New Year holiday.
Authorities in Feng county and Xuzhou have since made four statements regarding the woman’s case, but the controversial information they contained, especially about whether or not she was trafficked, has failed to dampen speculation.
Commenters online have queried if the woman was indeed “Xiaohuamei,” the person identified by local authorities, and called for further investigation.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com)
Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
