Police are on the hunt for a gang of at least 10 youths who robbed a 13-year-old boy, beat him with steel rods, and burned him with cigarettes at a Hong Kong mall over the weekend.
Officers say the teen, referred to as “J,” was attacked on the podium level of the On Ting Estate’s shopping mall in Tuen Mun on Saturday.
In an interview with HK01, someone claiming to be a cousin of the victim said that the attack came about because of a dispute over a basketball match.
J was allegedly taken to the podium, surrounded, and attacked by a group of youths wielding steel rods, some of whom burnt J with cigarette butts. At least two young women present allegedly filmed the incident.
The gang also stole about HK$100 from J during the ordeal.
He was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment, and police confirmed to the HK01 that they received a call on Saturday afternoon about the incident.
Photos published by the outlet, show J’s back and arms covered with red marks and bruises.
The cousin, surnamed Lee, said that J didn’t leave home for four days after the accident, and his family is worried he may have depression. He also told the outlet that shortly after the attack, J received threatening calls telling him not to call the police.
The incident has been classified as assault occasioning actual bodily harm and theft, and no arrests have been made so far.
Local media are referring to the incident as “Beef Ball Incident 2.0,” saying it allegedly took place in the same location as another vicious attack that went viral on social media last week. That incident involved two girls — one of them referred to in the video by the nickname “Beefball” — slapping, kicking, and pulling the hair of 15-year-old girl for what feels like an eternity as a crowd of bystanders looks on and films.
The video was believed to have been taken at the car park of a housing estate, also in Tuen Mun, and police later arrested two teenage girls in connection with the case.
