The Chinese embassy in the UK has sent its sympathies and support to a group of its nationals who were hurt in a series of incidents in Sheffield.

Nine female students were hit in the head over the course of several weeks last month.

Shan He, 33, of Edward Street, Sheffield, a former student herself, has been charged with actual bodily harm.

Li Fanghui, wife of the Chinese consul in Manchester, visited Sheffield to deliver a message in person to those affected. She promised support to all Chinese students who she said would one day provide important services to China. The students said the increasingly powerful motherland is the strong backing of overseas Chinese students.

“First of all, I want to thank the embassies and consulates for their care and love for our overseas students. Second, I want to thank the universities for their attention and active handling of this matter. The concentrated police detected the case within a short period of time. The Sheffield Chinese Students’ Federation immediately coordinated with the local Chinese community and overseas Chinese leaders in Sheffield to learn about the situation from the attacked students and actively communicated with multiple parties to ensure the smooth flow of information.” Zuo Zongyou, Chairman of Sheffield Chinese Students and Scholars Association, said.

UK police said that, between September 7 and 26, a series of assaults occurred in Sheffield city center. A 33-year-old woman was charged with two counts of assault and one count of possession of an offensive weapon and has already appeared in court. Another suspect related to the series of attacks is still in custody.

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