Beijing Foreigner Extorted After Running Into Chinese Woman?

From China News:

Foreign Young Man Who Helped Up Fallen Middle-Aged Woman in Beijing is Extorted For 1800 Yuan

2013 December 2 morning around 10:30am, at the intersection of Xiangheyuan Road and Zuojiazhuang East Street in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, a woman with a Northeastern accent suddenly fell while passing by a laowai riding a motorscooter, collapsing to the ground and refusing to get up. The young foreign man quickly got off his scooter to help up the woman only to be grabbed by the woman claiming that she was hit by the laowai, that her leg was injured and was unable to walk, demanding that the laowai take responsibility. The foreign young man turned pale with shock, yet was tightly clung to by the woman. During the dispute, the middle-aged woman walked about normally and unaffected, and obstinately seized and clung to the foreign young man, ripping his clothes.

Afterward, this woman obstinately clung to the man’s scooter refusing to let go. The accident caused a traffic jam at the scene for over an hour, with the woman limping and twitching multiple times, insisting that she was knocked over by the foreign young man and that he should be held responsible, forcing the foreign young man into tears.

Not long after the incident occurred, the police arrived on the scene and both parties proceeded to Meitan General Hospital. After being examined by doctors and X-rayed, it was diagnosed that the woman was not injured at all. The woman then once again collapsed to the ground screaming that she was in pain/discomfort. Finally, after negotiations between the two, the foreign young man had no choice but to compensate 1800 yuan in “medical expenses” before the woman would drop the matter and leave.

These photos and the narrative of the foreigner being falsely accused and extorted were published across China’s major web portals early this morning with titles such as: Male Foreign National Has Traffic Accident Dispute with Woman, Pays 1800 Yuan in Compensation . Most were taken down later in the day (read on for why).

On NetEase, the photo series quickly became the most discussed article for the day and while it was taken down and is no longer accessible, the comments section is still accessible, featuring over 43k comments ad 200k comment participants (at time of translation). Here were the most upvoted comments…

Comments from NetEase:

王尼玛的幸福生活 [网易黑龙江省牡丹江市网友]：

So fresh/uncommon! Our countrymen’s false accusations [scams involving collisions] now no longer distinguishes between national borders and skin color!

网易英国网友 ip：31.205.*.*:

Suggest this be handled in court! Must keep this kind of completely ridiculous behavior in check!

依旧惘然 [网易江苏省南通市网友]：

Young man, you’ll probably be better off going back to your country, as this place is not suited for you~~~ [meaning life will be better in his home country and he does not not have to endure this kind of phenomenon]

网易浙江省杭州市手机网友 [水深火热帝国狗]：

This Northeastern auntie is the first person to force a foreigner to sign an unequal treaty, a hero of the nation!

网易江苏省徐州市手机网友(117.87.*.*)： (responding to above)

Haha, this comment is amazing/hilarious.

From China News:

Follow-Up to Foreign Young Man Who Helped Up Fallen Person Suspected of Being Extorted: Eye-Witness Claims The Young Man Screamed Foul Language

December 2, on a Beijing street, media have reported that a foreign young man was extorted [falsely accused of liability] after helping up a fallen woman. Photos from: Internet.

“Laowai Suffers Being Extorted 1800 yuan After Helping Up Fallen Auntie on Street”. Today, a series of photos on the internet [see above and below] attracted widespread attention, and according to The Beijing News reporter’s investigations, the narrative presented in this series of photos is inconsistent with the truth, that the auntie had indeed been knocked over by the laowai. Eyewitnesses say the laowai was operating a motorcycle without a license plate and after hitting the woman, used Chinese to verbally abuse the woman.

The Beijing News reporter today went to the scene of the incident, Xiangheyuan Road and Zuojiazhuang East Street, and interviewed two separate eyewitnesses who did not know each other and whom both stated that around 11am yesterday morning, the auntie was returning from the morning market when a collision occurred between her and the laowai on his motorcycle. The laowai was riding a black unlicensed motorcycle and carrying a woman at the time.

According to video of the scene provided by witnesses, the laowai continuously used fluent Chinese to curse “you stupid cunt, fuck your father”, “you’re lying, you want to extort money from me because you see that I’m a foreigner,” etc.

This morning, four police officers returned to the scene to investigate the matter. People familiar with the matter disclosed that the auntie really wasn’t faking an accident and injury, and was furious about the narrative attached to the series of photographs [online]. (Reporter Yang Feng)

From Sina Weibo:

@人民日报: Today, a series of “Foreign Young Man Who Helped Up Fallen Middle-Aged Woman Suspected of Suffering False Accusation/Extortion” photos attracted widespread attention. Eyewitnesses say the laowai was riding a black motorcycle without a license plate carrying a young woman when he collided with a middle-aged woman. Video of the scene show the laowai continuously using Chinese to curse “You ** [stupid cunt], I * your father [fuck you]”, “You liar, you want to extort money from me because I’m a foreigner”, etc. http://t.cn/8k5bRtO

The above microblog posts links to a 1:07 long video clip from The Beijing News hosted on Sina of the incident that has been viewed over 750k times (at time of translation) since it was uploaded at 2:30pm this afternoon. The following is a longer 2:46 version of the video, also uploaded this afternoon and was featured on the homepage of popular video sharing website Youku…

From Youku:

“Laowai Uses Chinese to Verbally Abuse Person He Hit” Video Exposed (Complete)

Today, a set of photos online attracted widespread attention. According to this reporter’s investigation, the narrative of the photos are inconsistent with the truth, that the auntie [middle-aged woman] indeed was knocked over by the laowai. Eyewitnesses claim the laowai was operating a motorcycle without a license plate and after hitting the woman, used Chinese to verbally abuse the woman who had been hit.

Comments from Sina Weibo:

二枚目仔：

What country is this foreigner from?

矮油丶朱小猪：

But the auntie had indeed scammed him of his money!

吕N帆： (responding to above)

Foreign slave, do you know how much an ambulance + comprehensive examination + medical expenses cost? Do you TMD have medical expense receipts to prove that she scammed him of his money?

472-：

Sigh.

其乐无穷的奋斗：

Losing face for Chinese people [An embarrassment to Chinese people]!

XIAO武先生： (responding to above)

Although the auntie’s methods aren’t very rational, how did she lose face for Chinese people??? Is that foreigner so noble for continuously saying SB??? Don’t recklessly talk shit about your own people over just any little thing, remember that you yourself are a Chinese person…

北欧雷神thor：

The laowai had run the red light, his motorcycle is unlicensed, and after hitting her, is even foul-mouthed with a bunch of Chinese expletives, wanting to flee but hid his clothes grabbed by the auntie. It is because the auntie has a history of heart disease [heart attacks] that she had a medical examination done. The ambulance fee and the medical examination fee plus medicine fee totaled 1800. I want to ask, those of you still criticizing the auntie, are your heads damaged or have you gotten used to being slaves to foreigners?

吕N帆：

The official microblog account of the country’s Communist Party newspaper, can you please do some research before speaking? Doesn’t your face hurt from going back on your words [changing/correcting information from previous reports]?

呓吥哒：

Matters should be clearly investigated and understood. You can’t wrong good people, nor can you let off certain bad people.

你笑起来的样子我很喜欢：

His Chinese isn’t bad.

Sen-how：

Which is why when a matter isn’t clear, one can’t recklessly comment!!!

1933q：

All the media that reported [the previous report that the foreigner was extorted/scammed] should all apologize.

我真的不急找男友：

He learned his Chinese well, even know how to cuss people out. Also, media people, can you fully investigate a matter before reporting the news???

蒸馏水zz：

Having photos and video doesn’t necessarily mean having the truth. Hope @平安北京 [official microblog account of the Beijing police] can get involved [make a statement, say what really happened].

郑维：

With video there is truth. I’m now beginning to feel that having surveillance cameras everywhere is a good thing.

诸相非相V：

How are the media and reporters who created the rumor [spread false information] going to be dealt with?

X洋娃娃X：

Public opinion reverses!

客白门：

The facts aren’t out yet, right? Wouldn’t making the hospital exam report public be enough?

YutongDad：

I also became a foreign slave, so ashamed! It’s primarily because there are too many incidents of false accidents and injury claims [in China, therefore he readily believed the auntie was extorting the foreigner].

萧瑟兮草木：

Does cursing someone have anything to do with [whether or not] there was extortion [false accusation and compensation demands]?

醉寻江岸：

Where’s the video of the collision? What bullshit use is this post-collision argument [in determining fault/liability]?

梦幻中的小磊：

Fuck, the laowai being so wild, not even paying attention to where he is.

氵呸呸呸：

Well-scolded/cussed.

668晒太阳的猫：

So many versions [of what happened].

孙婉婷啦：

Truly disgusting, making me spend all noon thinking about what’s wrong with our countrymen… Should the media be disciplined for having nothing better to do than to make up false reports?

皖苏先森：

@People’s Daily, why don’t you continue licking the assholes of foreigners? [referring to The People’s Daily’s earlier reports claiming the auntie was extorting the foreigner and now reporting otherwise]

皓月星蓝：

I feel the foreigner being worried isn’t without reason. When even Chinese people cannot trust their own, wouldn’t foreigners be even more afraid of being extorted [falsely accused, scammed]?

全身都是正能量：

From the beginning to end, this matter has been led around by the nose [manipulated] by the media. Before the matter was made clear, [everyone] cursed the woman. When the matter is made a bit clearer, [everyone] curses the laowai. Those who are cursing the laowai just wait awhile and if we discover there were problems/faults with what both sides did, you guys will then curse this system of society. Shouldn’t you reflect a bit before being so impulsive? Those who should be cursed are those who think they themselves are the ones who have the moral high ground! But in this matter, everyone should curse that reporter who made the original article [suggesting the auntie was extorting] for lacking a conscience. Motherfucker.

Comments on Youku:

grp888:

The “relevant news” saying the auntie was falsely accusing and extorting published by those reporters, media websites, and rumormongers without first investigating have had a huge and extremely negative impact on society, so shouldn’t that be dealt with [by the authorities]? Don’t tell me this sort of reckless rumormongering by them can escape without any punishment?

ie家人:

No matter what the truth is, it’ll all be biased towards the auntie extorting them, all because of the various reports from various places of “helping elderly up incidents”!!! Watching this video, the auntie was arguing quite fiercely, and even if the truth is that she was knocked down by the laowai, there probably wasn’t any major injuries and ordinarily people will choose to accept the other party’s apology, or have the other party take them to the hospital to take care of any superficial injuries and everything will be OK. Don’t tell me this auntie suffered some sort of insult/humiliation? Or at that moment remembered some history of national suffering? Sigh, I really don’t want to use a sinister/evil mind to speculation about a stranger.

你刚烈的爹

1. The laowai had indeed hit the auntie and immediately got off to help her up. 2. But this auntie felt someone had hit her, was afraid of being injured (Chinese people all have this kind of weird thinking), and thus pretended not being able to get up. 3. After the auntie fell on the ground and wouldn’t get up, she screamed that being hit like this, even if she doesn’t die, she must have serious injuries, that even if nothing was apparent now, there would be after effects in the future. 4. So this auntie stayed on the ground refusing the get up, wailing that the young man was the Eight Nation Alliance bullying her old Beijing. 5. This laowai originally wanted to help her up but upon seeing this auntie being a shameless scoundrel, suddenly didn’t know what to do. 6. Fortunately the laowai brought a female friend, and the female friend felt the auntie was trying to extort them. What more, there has been incidents of aunties extorting people recently, so she couldn’t control herself and began arguing/yelling [at the auntie]. Thereupon, the laowai joined in the yelling and cursing. The laowai was also very agitated and let rip a few Chinese curse words. 7. Afterwards, they went to the hospital, and when they had to pay 1800 even though there were no injuries, it just shows that the auntie was either faking it or running a false accident/injury scam. In summary, this is the truth!!

邛暝秋雁:

Phoenix Online: The man’s girlfriend Ms. Xue says her boyfriend was carrying her on his motorcycle that day crossing the street when he accidentally collided with this woman, and the woman fell to the ground. The foreign male got off the motorcycle and helped the woman to the side of the street, where the woman sat on the ground and wrapped herself around the motorcycle, demanding compensation. Ms. Xue says this woman had grabbed the foreign male’s clothes out of fear that he would flee, as well as lay collapsed and twitching by the motorcycle, demanding compensation. After bystanders called the police, the police arrived on the scene. After police questioning, they took both parties to Meitan General Hospital for examination by doctors. The woman had slight superficial injuries. Finally after mediation by the police, the foreign male and Ms. Xue paid 1800 yuan to the woman, covering medical expenses and compensation for the foreign young man running a red light and knocking her over. Because her heart has a condition, after being knocked over, her heart disease had flared up and she was not trying to falsely accuse him or claim false injuries. The hospital determined she had sot tissue damage, and that she had pain in her ankle and shoulder. The 1800 yuan paid by the foreign young man was mostly for the ambulance and medical expenses.”

就这样吧、累了:

It can clearly be seen from the video that even if this woman can be considered to have been injured, the injuries probably don’t amount to 1800 yuan. From this video, it can be seen that this woman’s upper body is completely without major injury. If media reports turn out to be true, that the hospital examination and x-rays did not discover any internal injuries, that she simply left after she got the 1800, then everyone can determine [what the truth is] for themselves. However, I still hope the street surveillance footage can be obtained and a more impartial eyewitness can make things clear, because there are too many immoral people these days! I await the real surveillance footage being made available.

小虫在呵呵笑:

This is the latest investigation results. This auntie was indeed hit and injured by this foreign young man. The hospital’s examination determined had acute soft tissue injuries, had pains in her ankle and shoulder, and that the 1800 yuan was given while the police were on the scene for the ambulance and medical expenses. You can go to news websites and see the relevant news. Previously, all websites were reporting that the auntie was making false accusations and claiming false injuries but now various websites are promptly publishing the inside story.

MedusAce:

Imagine you are riding an electric scooter, carrying your girlfriend, on the road in the morning. You run into an old lady. Do you think the likelihood is larger that you intentionally aimed to hit her or that old lady was walking on the street not paying attention to vehicles thinking no one would dare bump into her only to end up being bumped into. Moreover, you clearly just lightly bumped into her, but she immediately falls to the ground right then and there. Do you say a word of apology and immediately leave or do you go forward to help her up? And when you help her up and the person demands money from you, do you give it or not? And when you don’t, they rip your clothes pocket into what it looks like in the photos and drapes themselves over your scooter preventing you from leaving, delaying you from going to work. Would you be angry? Would you curse them? Then you give up on not going to work, go to the hospital to examine for injuries, and even though there was nothing at all, you had to pay one thousand eight hundred [RMB], and in the meantime, you and your girlfriend’s wages for the day are lost, and you’re mood is depressed, and you might be human flesh searched and placed on the internet, possibly losing your job, being attacked by so-called patriots resulting in you being afraid to leave your home… Only when this happens to you will you know who is the real victim… Right now I am extremely thankful that aunties have not fallen down around me…

darrenOu:

Actually, as someone sitting in front of a monitor, it is very difficult to judge who is in the wrong. All I see is the auntie and the laowai yelling at each other, and the surrounding bystanders do not necessarily know everything that happened from beginning, middle, and the end where they are yelling at each other. Most of them probably only understand what happened based on asking each other after the incident happened. Apart from witnesses at the scene, it would be best to use the street surveillance footage (although I don’t know if they’ll actually do this in reality).

Wine-S:

The truth is that the auntie only had scratches, but the laowai lost 1800 for these scratches! It doesn’t matter if this 1800 is due to 120 [ambulance costs] or the [medical] examination fees, it was paid all because the auntie pretended that her injuries were serious! And what’s this about heart disease? A few scratches and her heart disease acts up [heart attack], talk about laughable! Talk about not being shameless, haha~ The truth was already out [referring to the medical exam results], and I bet the auntie realized she couldn’t make it into a big matter so settled on making it a small matter and not pursuing any further. Just what kind of mentality does this auntie have? Not false accusation and injury? I can only say it wasn’t a successful false accusation and injury!

我流:

The people on the scene were obviously biased towards the auntie, which indicates what eyewitnesses saw was that the laowai was at fault! What’s lamentable is that there are people distorting the facts to say it is false accusation and injury, misleading public opinion!

The Phoenix Online article quoted by a Chinese netizen above on Youku is this article…

From Phoenix Online:

“Laowai Extorted After Helping Up Middle-Aged Woman” Exclusive Follow-Up: Woman Was Indeed Hit and Injured

Exclusive: Male Foreigner Indeed Bumped into Middle Aged Woman and Caused External Injuries to the Latter

December 3 morning, a photo story titled “Foreign Young Man Suspected of Having Been Extorted After Helping Up Fallen Middle-Aged Woman on Beijing Street” carried by various major web portal websites attracted controversy with netizens. A middle-aged woman on the ground an be seen in the photos holding onto the foreign male and his motorcycle. In the text of the news, it is claimed that “a woman passing by a laowai on a motorcycle suddenly fell”. Through the photos and the text, many netizens determined there was suspicion that the woman was extorting the male foreigner.

However, as confirmed by Phoenix ONline and the relevant individuals involved as well as eyewitnesses, the foreign male involved had indeed collided with the middle-aged woman, and caused slight superficial injuries to the latter. The text of the original news reports did not mention such relevant facts.

Phoenix Online contacted Mr. Li, the photographer of the original photographs. According to his explanations, around 10:30am on the morning of December 2nd, as he drive past the Xiangheyuan Road and Zuojiazhuang intersection in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, he saw a 40- or 50-year-old woman fallen on the ground, a foreign male help her to the roadside, and the two of them entangled in a physical struggle.

Phoenix Online then managed to contact the foreign male’s girlfriend Ms. Wang. Ms. Wang says her boyfriend was carrying her on his motorcycle that day and while crossing the street accidentally collided with this woman and the woman fell to the ground. The foreign male got off and helped the woman to the roadside. The woman sat on the ground holding onto the motorcycle, demanding compensation.

Ms. Wang says: “This is also the first time we have encountered this kind of thing. We didn’t know how to handle it and at the time was at a loss for what to do but we definitely weren’t planning on fleeing as that would be unconscionable.”

Ms. Wang says the woman grabbed the foreign male’s clothes because out of fear he would flee, as well as collapsed and twitched by the motorcycle, demanding compensation. After roadside pedestrians called the police, the police arrived on the scene.

After questioning, the police took both parties to Meitan General Hospital. According to Ms. Wang, after medical examination, the woman had minor superficial injuries. Finally, under mediation by the police, the foreign male and Ms. Wang paid the woman 1800 yuan>, covering medical expenses and compensation. (Text: Xu Mengna)

Middle-Aged Woman: So many hometown people called me yelling at me, saying I was making false accident/injury scams in Beijing!

According to The Beijing News reports, at noon today, the auntie Ms. Li who was accused of “extorting the foreigner” was upset, saying: “So many hometown people called me yelling at me, saying I was making false accident/injury scams in Beijing!” False reports put a lot of pressure on her [made her stressed], leading her to seek liability from the photographer, “he must give me an apology”.

Ms. Li says when the incident happened, she was crossing the street on the crosswalk when the foreign young man collided into her while riding his motorcycle and running the red light. Because she has consistently had problems with her heart, after being hit, her heart condition flared up [felt something was wrong] and thus was taken to the hospital, not because she was trying to scam anyone with a false injury claim. The hospital exam determined she suffered acute soft tissue injuries, and had pain in her ankle and shoulder. “The 1800 yuan the foreign young man paid was mostly for the ambulance and medical expenses.”

Foreign Male: Extorted after helping up woman

According to international online reports, a woman with a Northeastern accent suddenly fell after passing by a laowai on a scooter and immediately collapsed on the ground refusing to get up. The foreign young man got off and rushed to help up the woman, only to be grabbed by the woman who claimed she was hit by the laowai, injured in the leg, and unable to walk, requiring the laowai to take responsibility. The foreign young man turned pale in shock, and was held firm by the woman.

Finally, after mediation between the two parties, the foreign young man had no choice but to pay 1800 yuan for “medical expenses” before the woman would let the matter drop and then leave on her own.

Witness: Laowai continuously hurled abuse in fluent Chinese

According to The Beijing News reports, two unrelated witnesses both claimed that around 11am yesterday afternoon, the auntie was returning from the morning market and had a collision at the intersection with a laowai riding a motorcycle. The laowai was riding a black motorcycle at the time, and carrying a woman.

According to video of the scene provided by witnesses, the laowai continuously used fluent Chinese to curse “you stupid cunt, fuck your father”, “you’re lying, you want to extort money from me because you see that I’m a foreigner,” etc.

Photographer: Believed there was “suspicion of extortion” because injuries were minor at the scene of the incident

The People’s Daily managed to contact the photographer surnamed Li, and he indicated that it was indeed a traffic accident [collision], but the vehicle speed was very slow. He decided the injury was not serious, and therefore believed there was “suspicion of extortion”.

Comments from Phoenix Online:

凤凰网新浪微博网友：Thanx哞哞

It is times like this where those journalists who misreported what happened should be held responsible. This kind of distorted reporting that conceals [the truth] in order to attract attention is not something that has happened only once or twice now. It is in continuing to neglect duty and not punishing this that will cause it to increase.

凤凰网新浪微博网友：小贝要像草菇一样勤奋努力

Even if she was hit and somewhat scratched/injured, was it necessary to be make it into a matter of life and death, obstinately clutching to him refusing to let go? Just check yourself and evaluate the condition of your injuries. A bottle of iodine and a band-aid is just how much money? Who doesn’t have some small scrapes and bumps every day? Who doesn’t have some bruises or whatever on their bodies? I still think it is too shameless! How could you even open your mouth to ask for 1800…?

凤凰网新浪微博网友：FDU_hiwing

Heh heh, the plot has reversed after all, eh? Once again it turns out to be a masterpiece concocted by some evil whores [referring to journalists/media].

凤凰网新浪微博网友：任逍遥-RR

So how many people know that the laowai was riding an unlicensed motorcycle? Chinese people’s backbones are still so soft. If you hit someone then you should take responsibility!

凤凰网腾讯微博网友：暗黑系中毫无存在感的D

Everyone has misunderstood. This auntie is the first Chinese person to force a foreigner to sign an Unequal Treaty.

凤凰网新浪微博网友：乡下大西瓜

The [original] reporter’s integrity is worse than that of a chicken [whore].

凤凰网新浪微博网友：风啸了无痕

Just superficial scrapes and she wants 1800, if that isn’t extortion then what is it? Did the auntie compensate him for his [torn] clothing?

凤凰网新浪微博网友：ytcuicauc

Our countrywoman has naturally been labeled a “false accident/injury accuser” by the whorish netizens. These days, microblogs are just about [posting anything], with the truth counting for nothing.

凤凰网新浪微博网友：抱着pride遛的呆HOHO

Isn’t 1800 too excessive either way?

From China News:

Foreign Young Man Extorted For Helping Up Fallen Person Spreads on Internet, His Girlfriend Confirms That The Two Had Collided

This morning, a series of “Foreign Young Man Extorted For Helping Up Fallen Woman” photos were republished by many media. However, after reporters investigated the story, the two parties had indeed collided with each other at the time and that the woman had demanded 1800 yuan from the other party for injuries.

Internet Hot Topic

Spreads on Microblogs; Whether or Not Extortion Was Consistent With What Happened

This morning, this series of photographs was published by image platform Dong Fang IC and was subsequently widely reprinted by various media including The People’s Daily microblog and Caixin microblog.

According to the description on The People’s Daily microblog: “This incident occurred yesterday in Chaoyang district. A woman with a Northeastern accent suddenly fell after passing by a laowai riding a motorscooter, claimed she was hit, and obstinately clung to the other party refusing to let go. After being examined by doctors and X-rayed, it was diagnosed that the woman was not injured at all. The woman then once again collapsed to the ground screaming that she was in pain/discomfort. Finally, after negotiations between the two, the foreign young man had no choice but to compensate 1800 yuan in “medical expenses” before the woman would drop the matter and leave.”

This matter attracted the attention of netizens, with many people believing that this kind of extortion [false injury and accusation scams] has lost face for [is an embarrassment to] Chinese people. However, reporters discovered that whether or not there was actually any “extortion”, different media had different reports. The official microblog of The People’s Daily said there was “suspicion of suffering extortion”, while the official microblog of Caixin more definitively said the foreigner “had been extorted”.

Reporter Seeks Confirmation

Photographer of the photos: There was a collision and the woman fell down onto the ground

This reporter contacted Mr. Li, the photographer who had taken the photographs. He indicated that he too is just a media person and that he did not see the entire incident when he was there on the scene taking photos.

He told this Legal Evening News reporter that when he was crossing the street at the intersection between Xianheyuan Road and Zuojiazhuang East Street in Chaoyang district, he saw a laowai riding a motorcycle collide head-on with a middle-aged woman crossing the street. The collision looked completely minor, but this middle-aged woman immediately sat on the ground.

Afterward, this foreign young man hurriedly went over to help her up, but this middle-aged woman would not get up, instead clutching the laowai refusing to let go, claiming that she was in pain/discomfort, and demanded compensation. At this time, surrounding passersby called the police with the police then arriving on the scene to mediate. After the two sides went to the hospital and the woman was examined, but there were no problems/injuries.

Afterward, this woman sat there crying and screaming that she was in pain/discomfort, and wanted the foreign young man to compensate her, and after demanding 1800 yuan, immediately stood up, collected her things and left.

Mr. Li expressed that the online hearsay of “extortion” was very unexpected.

Young Man’s Girlfriend:

After the collision, her boyfriend wanted to help the other party up

In the morning, this reporter contacted this foreign young man’s Chinese girlfriend, and she said that she was continuously [physically] with her boyfriend when the incident happened yesterday.

This girl first admits that they had hit that middle-aged woman at the time the incident occurred, but because the scooter was going very slowly crossing the street, the collision was not serious.

“When my boyfriend say her fall down, he immediately stopped the scooter, and ran over to help her up.” The girlfriend of the foreign young man says this middle-aged women would not get up, and instead clung to her boyfriend refusing to let go, and that the situation that followed was basically the same as the narrative provided by the photographer of the photos.

According to her explanation, this foreign young man is from the UK, has been in Beijing for 6 years already, and has been in a bad mood since the incident. The girl expressed that she doesn’t want the media to disclose her or her boyfriend’s names, and only hopes this matter won’t affect his work or life.

Lawyer’s View

Beijing Mingke Law Firm lawyer Zheng Hongtao says if there was no loss caused to the other party, one normally does not need to provide compensation, and if the other party insists on demands, the matter can be given to the legal system to be resolved, having the other party collect evidence and bring a lawsuit against you, with the courts providing a proper ruling. Text/Reporter Ren Jia

December 6 UPDATE: The photographer responsible for the above series of images has released a public apology (Chinese news report on NetEase) to the “auntie” and netizens for his misleading report of what happened. Specifically, his original report suggested the Chinese woman was falsely accusing the foreigner of hitting her after he helped her up, similar to notable past news stories, when in fact he did hit her. This detail was pivotal in influencing public sympathies, leading many netizens to feel deceived when subsequent reports provided critical relevant information questionably absent from the description accompanying the original photo series.