Video Of Woman Locked In Hut With Chain Around Her Neck Sparks Outrage

The video of an elderly woman, with a chain around her neck that shackled her to a wall, has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage.

The mother of eight children from China was allegedly seen locked up inside a hut. The clip — posted on the Chinese social media platform Douyin — was recorded by a blogger, who visited the woman and was visibly shocked to see her condition. According to the BBC, the blogger brought the woman warm clothes and tried to speak to her, but couldn't get proper answers.

The woman appeared dazed in the video and was only wearing a light layer of clothing in the freezing cold.

Following the massive outrage, authorities of Jiangsu Province -- where the video was shot -- shared a statement Friday, dismissing speculation about the woman being a victim of trafficking. They identified the woman by her last name Yang, and said she was from the Feng County Hukou Township. Her husband, whom she married in 1998, was identified only as Dong.

The statement also said the woman was diagnosed with a mental illness, and her family said she often had violent outbursts because of it. However, it was not clear when she was diagnosed.

After reading Friday’s statement, netizens were further enraged, and slammed authorities for not addressing the fact that the woman was tied up. The backlash prompted authorities to release another statement Sunday, with the officials saying they will be conducting an investigation into the woman's husband.

"Dong is suspected of violating the law. The public security authorities have launched an investigation into it," said the statement, according to local media.

The statement also said the husband had started locking up the woman in mid-2021 after her condition worsened, the New York Times reported.

The husband had gained online recognition last year after posting videos on Douyin of his seven sons and one daughter. Yang reportedly does not appear in any of the videos on his page.

“The kids and I,” said the caption of one video while another was titled: “Eight children’s happy childhood.”

While social media users continue to demand that authorities take more responsibility, officials said Yang was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was currently in a hospital receiving treatment.

A number of social media posts highlighting human trafficking were removed by authorities while others, discussing the woman's plight, were censored since the incident came to light.