An incident involving two airline passengers who locked a crying toddler in a plane restroom has sparked significant outrage and heated debate across social media platforms in China, CNN reports.
The controversy erupted after one of the women shared a video depicting the distressing situation on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok.
The video, which quickly went viral, features the loud cries of a young girl, estimated to be around one year old, as she sits in a locked lavatory with the two women. In the footage, one passenger, seated on the toilet, sternly tells the child: “We won’t let you out unless you stop crying.” As the toddler struggles to escape, the woman filming the video adds, “If you make any noise again, we’ll come back (to the bathroom).”
The episode occurred on August 24 during a Juneyao Airlines flight from Guiyang to Shanghai. According to the airline’s statement, the child was traveling with her grandparents and had been crying persistently throughout the nearly three-hour flight. The two passengers reportedly took the child to the restroom to “educate her,” claiming they had the grandmother’s consent.
As criticisms intensified the following day, Juneyao Airlines issued an apology, admitting the “oversight of the crew” and condemning the actions of the two passengers.
“We regret the incident and the distress it caused,” the airline stated, as reported by the state-run Southern Metropolis Daily.
The woman who posted the video defended her actions as an effort to ensure a peaceful flight for fellow passengers. However, her justification met with overwhelming backlash, with many online users labeling her as heartless and accusing her of bullying the child. The video has since been removed from the platform.
The incident has drawn attention from various Chinese state media outlets, which described the passengers’ behavior as “inappropriate” and called for a greater understanding of the challenges that young children face in managing their emotions.
In recent years, increasing complaints about children crying or misbehaving in public transport, including flights and trains, have gained traction on Chinese social media. This has reignited a broader discussion on parenting in public spaces, particularly at a time when the Chinese government is making efforts to encourage higher birth rates among couples.
