A groundbreaking BBC Eye investigation has uncovered widespread physical and sexual abuse within a network of Chinese disciplinary schools operated by military veteran Li Zheng and his associates. The investigation reveals how these institutions, marketed as solutions for rebellious youth, have systematically violated human rights with parental consent and impunity.
Former students provided harrowing accounts of their experiences at Lizheng Quality Education School and affiliated institutions. Baobao (pseudonym), now 19, described six months of torture at age 14 where instructors beat non-compliant students until they couldn’t sleep on their backs. The psychological trauma remains so severe that the smell of rain-soaked soil still triggers panic attacks, reminding her of military drills behind locked gates.
The investigation compiled testimony from 23 former students who reported brutal beatings, forced extreme exercise, and sexual violence. Zhang Enxu, a 20-year-old transgender woman, recounted being abducted by men posing as police with her parents’ approval and subsequently raped at Shengbo Youth Psychological Growth Training School. She also suffered permanent hearing damage from beatings.
Undercover footage exposed the network’s abduction methods, with staff impersonating internet regulators to forcibly transport students. Parents pay substantial fees—approximately $5,700 for six months—for programs that promise behavioral correction through military-style discipline but deliver systematic abuse instead.
Despite numerous abuse allegations over years and Li Zheng’s recent arrest for organized crime, the network persists through rebranding and relocation. Former associates have established new facilities, with one counselor boasting of ‘huge profits’ and suggesting annual fees of $25,000 per student in potential expansions.
Chinese authorities have intermittently closed facilities following public outcry or student suicides, but regulatory gaps enable continuous operation. The industry operates in a governance vacuum between local education, civil affairs, and market regulation authorities, creating a ‘shadow industry’ that persists without centralized oversight.
The Chinese embassy in London stated that all educational institutions must comply with regulations protecting minors, but victims continue fighting for full closure of all disciplinary schools they describe as fundamentally flawed systems that ‘simply shouldn’t exist.’