Rhianna Benson
Two passengers travelling across China have sparked a controversial debate after admitting they locked a toddler in an airplane bathroom in an attempt to prevent her from crying.
The incident took place this week on a flight from Guiyang to Shanghai, but has since hit headlines across the globe, with critics having slammed the travellers as 'bullies'.
The original report was filed by Juneyao Airlines, who claim the distressed child's grandmother had given the duo - two women - permission to 'educate' the child, who reportedly refused to stop wailing.
In a video which has since gone viral online, one of the two perpetrators could be seen threatening the child though the bathroom door after locking them inside.
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She warned the youngster she'd only be permitted to leave the facility if she stopped crying, only triggering further emotion in the tot.
One of the women that sparked the mass backlash, known as Gou Tingting, has since defended her dubious actions, claiming it simply formed part of her attempt to calm the unruly tot.
According to the BBC, Ms Gou has since taken to Douyin - the Chinese equivalent to TikTok - claiming she 'prefers to take action rather than be a bystander'.
Naturally, however, her claims have added further fuel to the fire, and she has since been slammed by countless followers of the incident.
Taking to discussion site Weibo, one user allegedly chimed in on the debate to defend the child.
"Children cannot control their emotions when they are one or two years old," they pointed out.
"What’s wrong with crying? Didn’t you cry when you were young too?"
The incident now forms part of an even bigger discussion surrounding the possibility of adding 'adult zones' to flights to ensure travellers enjoy a peaceful journey.
Back in January, Dutch airline Corendon announced they'd be putting one of these restrictions into place, confirming that passengers travelling from Amsterdam to the Carribbean could now pay €45 to reserve seats in the child-free section of the plane.
While some people that learned of the new rules were more than happy to pay more to sit in an adult-only section of the plane, others were unsure exactly how airlines would enforce separation from noisy children.
According to Business Traveller, it works as follows: "The Only Adult Zone on the airline’s Airbus A350-900 will be located at the front of the plane, separated by walls and a curtain from the rest of the cabin. The zone has 102 seats, with 93 standard seats and nine seats offering extra legroom."