The owner of a Chinese store in Marbella has broken her silence after a video of her brandishing a knife went viral on social media.
Liao spoke exclusively to the Spanish Eye today as she vowed to let the truth be known after suffering months of attacks and thefts at her store – Minimarket Liao – in San Pedro de Alcantara.
The mother-of-two, from Zhejiang, China, has been running the business in the centre of the town for three years.
But over the past few months, she has become a target for a group of youths, who she claims repeatedly steal from her store and verbally and physically assault her husband, daughter and son.
Things came to a head this week when dozens of thugs turned up at her store to intimidate her – after she reported thefts to the police.
‘They were throwing little fireworks at our feet,’ a tearful Liao told this newspaper.
‘Two boys started fighting with me, hitting me, then one kicked me so hard in the stomach I lost control of my bladder.
‘They threw rocks at my children and my husband, which cut his head open. Then they were grabbing my children and attacking them.’
A desperate Liao said she grabbed a knife out of sheer desperation and in a bid to scare the yobs away.
‘It’s not just once or twice, it’s been so many times, and I have reported to the police but they do nothing because they are minors,’ added Liao.
She said only video showing a couple of seconds of her brandishing the knife were shared online.
‘I am a mother and I have to protect my children, this time I was forced to my limit. Don’t believe what you see on the internet, it’s not even half the story – and I’m willing to sue people over this,’ she vowed.
Liao said the group have chastised her in the past for ‘not speaking Spanish’, and mocked her daughter over her mental health issues.
‘When my daughter gets scared or angry, she starts hitting herself, because in her mind the world is beautiful and kind and she can’t process the aggression and violence,’ she explained.
‘They see us as Chinese and think we are bad people, but we have a limit to what we can take, they have robbed me so many times and I have the videos to prove it.’
Several store owners in the area told the Spanish Eye that there are various groups of youngsters causing trouble for residents.
‘They ride around on e-scooters and are always looking for trouble, the police need to get a grip,’ one said.
‘They know that they are minors and that they will get away with it, the parents should be ashamed!’
Locals have rallied around Liao on social media, describing her family as ‘hardworking’ and ‘honest’.
‘They are open all day and night, almost every day of the year and just want to work and succeed,’ wrote one local on the video of the incident.
‘They are hardworking and honest and don’t deserve this.’
The Spanish Eye has contacted the local police for comment.
Read more Costa del Sol news at the Spanish Eye.
