Jiangsu ‘Most Beautiful Civil Servant’ Suspected of Beating Disabled Person Sparks Discussion

On April 25th, an incident involving the deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Weifeng Town, Guanyun County, Jiangsu Province, who allegedly assaulted a disabled person, has attracted attention. The official, Fang, was earlier nominated as a candidate to be recognized as one of the “Most Outstanding Public Servants” of Lianyungang City in Jiangsu. This news has sparked discussions among netizens.

The topic of “Candidate for ‘Most Outstanding Public Servant’ Suspected of Beating Disabled Person” trended on social media platforms in mainland China on the 25th. On the 24th, Fang, the deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Weifeng Town in Guanyun County, was reported to have been involved in the assault of a disabled person in 2021.

The report surfaced a day before the announcement on April 23rd that Lianyungang City would honor the candidates for its first-ever “Most Outstanding Public Servants” recognition. Fang was one of the nominees for this accolade.

The whistleblower, Mr. Wang, claimed to be a villager from Wangdui Village in Longju Town, Guanyun County, Lianyungang City. He stated that on June 7, 2021, upon hearing that his wheat field had been set on fire, he went to inspect the site and found that the fire had been extinguished by the time he arrived. He wanted to take some photos as evidence for compensation but had his phone taken away by officials present at the scene.

Mr. Wang alleged that he was verbally abused at the scene, leading to physical assault by the officials, including the then-deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Longju Town, Mr. Wang, and Deputy Mayor Fang. As a result of the attack, Mr. Wang lost some teeth, his mouth and nose bled, and his face was covered in bruises. He is physically disabled and unable to care for himself, requiring over 40,000 yuan in medical expenses.

Following the public attention on this matter, government officials from Weifeng Town dismissed the allegations as impossible rumors and claimed that the video evidence did not clarify the situation.

Mr. Wang informed “Extreme News” that Fang did physically assault him during the incident. Several departments locally have stated that the police are conducting an investigation, and Fang, the accused official, is currently working as usual. Officials from Weifeng Town argued that the location mentioned by netizens was not where the incident took place. Employees from the Civil Servants Second Division of the Organization Department of the Lianyungang Municipal Party Committee stated that the preliminary conclusion was that Fang did not directly participate in the assault.

Netizens mocked the label of Lianyungang’s “Most Outstanding Public Servants.” Comments such as “Who are they trying to fool with this beauty?” and “I find it quite beautiful, in quotation marks” flooded online discussions. Some remarked, “Enough with the facade, the world knows who truly is the most beautiful.”

Other netizens expressed the need for thorough investigation and severe punishment, suggesting, “Individuals like this must be removed from their positions and held accountable.”