The boy’s father said on Tuesday (Sep 8) that his son had lost his balance while running past the woman and that the contact was unintentional.
In a statement posted on Weibo, the father, who gave his surname as Guo, said the incident has “seriously affected” his family life and that he had to speak up on behalf of his child.
“It was not ‘groping her buttocks’ or ‘indecent assault’ according to rumours online,” he said.
“A four-year-old child has no awareness of gender or sexuality yet, let alone any malice.”
Guo said he and his wife had apologised to the woman and explained that the act was unintentional.
But he said the woman demanded a written apology and a promise that they would “strictly discipline” their son. Guo said he could not accept this.
“Once I admit it in writing, it would be equivalent to pinning the label of ‘intentional’ on my child,” he wrote. “It would harm him.”
Guo said his son has since asked whether he had done something wrong, a question he said he struggled to answer.
Guo said the woman had the right to pursue legal action and that he would cooperate with any proceedings.
“I believe the law will deliver a fair judgment, and I believe the surveillance video is more persuasive than emotion,” he wrote.
The case has gone viral on Chinese social media, with many users criticising the woman’s response and expressing concern about the potential impact of the controversy on the child.
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