If a policeman feels that his status exempts him from justice, then the police, with all their privileges, will be a threat to public security, said an article in the Southern Metropolis Daily (excerpts below).

A drunk police officer in Linzhou, Henan province, grabbed a seven-month-old baby girl from her father's embrace and threw her to the ground on the night of July 20. The baby has encephalic bleeding and three fractures in her skull.

The case was covered up by the local police and government until it was reported on Aug 17 by the media. Before the media exposure, the only punishment the policeman faced was a 15-day confinement.

The Linzhou police authority, which carried out the initial cover-up, must itself be investigated for the crime of concealing a criminal and a dereliction of duty. The local government should also face investigation for attempting to cover up the incident.