Two Women Locked a Crying Toddler in an Aircraft’s Lavatory

In a shocking incident that has ignited widespread outrage on social media, two women took drastic measures to quiet a crying toddler during a flight. On a Juneyao Airlines H01259 heading from Guiyang to Shanghai this past Saturday.

The toddler, believed to be just over one year old, had been crying non-stop for nearly three hours while traveling with her grandparents. In an attempt to “educate” the child, the women locked her in the aircraft’s lavatory.

The incident was captured on video and posted to Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. The footage shows one of the women telling the distressed child, “We won’t let you out unless you stop crying,” as the toddler struggled to reach the lavatory door. The child was sitting on the woman’s lap, visibly upset and reaching for the exit.

The video was originally posted with the intent of showcasing how the women managed to quiet the child, seemingly in a positive light. However, the response from social media users was overwhelmingly negative.

The footage shows two women approaching the crying toddler and locking her in the lavatory, a move that many viewers likened to “kidnapping” and “child abuse.” Local media reports have confirmed that the women involved are not related to the child, though they did receive permission from the child’s grandmother to “educate” the girl.

One of the women is heard in the video saying, “If you don’t cry, we will take you to grandma,” further indicating their intent to quiet the child. The grandmother, according to the airline, agreed to the women’s actions in hopes of calming her granddaughter.

After the toddler was released from the lavatory, she remained silent for the remainder of the flight. The video, however, continued to circulate online, with many users condemning the actions of the women involved. Some argued that the situation could have been handled differently and that the women’s behavior crossed a line.

In response to the backlash, the woman who posted the video on Douyin defended her actions, stating that she “prefers to take action rather than be a bystander.” Nevertheless, the video was eventually deleted following the widespread criticism.

Juneyao Airlines, the carrier operating the flight, informed local media on August 26, 2024, that they are investigating the incident following numerous complaints. As of now, authorities have not indicated whether any charges will be filed against the women involved.