A video showing a boy repeatedly slapping a girl is going viral on social media platform X. It is being shared with the claim that this reflects the patriarchal mindset typical of North India. However, our investigation found this claim to be misleading.
Dr. Prisha Sargam wrote, ‘This is a reflection of typical North Indian behavior. No one has the right to act like this. The clip highlights the societal mindset towards women.’
This is a reflection of typical North Indian behavior. No one has the right to act like this. The clip highlights the societal mindset towards women. https://t.co/E5MKXF2wmZ
— Dr Prisha Sargam (@PrishaSargam) April 12, 2025
Nusrat claimed, ‘This is a reflection of typical North Indian behavior. No one has the right to act like this. The clip highlights the societal mindset towards women.’
This is a reflection of typical North Indian behavior. No one has the right to act like this. The clip highlights the societal mindset towards women.
— Nusrat🍉 (@Nusrat99A) April 13, 2025
https://t.co/jSKFuZw7rC
Samajwadi Prahari and Ankit Singh Patel also shared a similar claim.
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Fact Check
We began our investigation by conducting a keyword and reverse image search on Google, which led us to a report published on November 2, 2022. According to the news website The New Paper, the incident had sparked outrage in two countries. As per a statement by the Kota Kinabalu district police chief on October 31, Sabah police began investigating a viral video showing a teenage boy brutally assaulting a teenage girl. The video had also been widely circulated in Singapore, with several users submitting it to local platform Stomp.
The report described the video in detail: A boy, dressed in what appeared to be a school uniform, was seen slapping the girl on the head three times while she cowered against the wall of an empty hallway. He then kicked her in the torso, causing one of his slippers to fall off, which he picked up and used to hit her five more times on the head as she cried. Another boy in similar attire is briefly seen at the beginning of the 18-second clip.
The incident was believed to have occurred at a shopping mall in Kota Kinabalu, although this had not been officially confirmed at the time. The police also clarified that no formal complaint had been filed, but an investigation was underway.
We also found a Stomp Straits Times report published on November 2, 2022, which included a Facebook statement from the Kota Kinabalu police, posted on October 31, 2022. The statement said, ‘Dated 30/10/22, a video went viral showing a teenage girl being punched and kicked by a teenage boy, allegedly occurring at a shopping center in the Kota Kinabalu area. The police have not received any official report regarding the incident and have not been able to confirm whether the incident took place in the Kota Kinabalu district or elsewhere. However, the police are conducting an investigation into the viral video and have instructed all units, including local police station heads, to gather information about the incident, its location, and the individuals involved. The police also request the cooperation of all parties to come forward with any information related to the incident, in order to assist with the investigation and to apprehend the perpetrator.’
Notably, Kota Kinabalu is a city in Malaysia. Hence, it’s clear that the video is not from India, and the viral claim attributing it to North Indian patriarchy is misleading.
| Claim | A North Indian man is seen mercilessly hitting a woman. |
| Claimed by | Social media users |
| Fact Check | The viral video is actually from Malaysia, dated October 2022, and has no connection to India. |
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