Passengers on a plane locked a crying toddler in a bathroom. The airline said her grandma gave them permission.

29.08.2024 - 16:59 / insider.com

Two passengers aboard a Juneyao Airlines flight from Guiyang in southwestern China to Shanghai on Saturday locked a crying toddler in an airplane bathroom.

One then shared a video of the incident on Chinese social media, which went viral and has generated intense backlash.

The woman who filmed the incident was identified by the English-language, state-run Chinese media outlet Sixth Tone as Gou Tingting.

According to Sixth Tone, in a caption for the now-deleted video, which was posted on Douyin — China's version of TikTok — Gou claimed the child's crying was so loud that passengers were using tissues to try to block out the sound.

The outlet said that one of the women can be heard in the footage telling the wailing child that they would not let her out unless she stopped crying.

The video has met with a fierce backlash in China.

According to the BBC, some online comments have accused Gou of "bullying" the child and lacking empathy.

Others feared the damage it might do to her psychologically.

In the comments, some viewers even shared screenshots of police reports they had filed against the women, per Sixth Tone.

Despite the outrage, the Guizhou Airport Public Security Bureau did not charge the women, the news outlet reported, as the child's grandparents had asked for assistance.

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Juneyao Airlines confirmed in a Weibo post on Monday that the incident had occurred.

It said the child's grandparents had consented to the strangers taking the child to the bathroom to "educate her."

The airline also said the grandmother had waited at the restroom door throughout the incident.

Business Insider was unable to reach Gou for comment.