China sentences man who attacked women at restaurant to 24 years

Assault by Chen Jizhi and his friends on 10 June has sparked a national debate over gender-based violence

The main perpetrator of an assault against a group of women at a barbecue restaurant in China has been sentenced to 24 years in prison, after the case sparked a national debate over gender-based violence.

Chen Jizhi started hitting the women after they rejected his harassment" in the early hours of 10 June in the city of Tangshan in Hebei province, east of Beijing, the court said in a statement.