Father under criminal coercive measures after probe into viral video showing him whipping two sons

A man is now under criminal coercive measures after a police investigation into a viral video showing him whipping his two naked sons with electric wires, sparking widespread public concern.

The video was confirmed to be taken on Monday at a residential community in Jiangjin district of Southwest China's Chongqing. The two boys were whipped by their father surnamed Chen due to their mischievous behavior, Jiangjin public security bureau said on Thursday in a statement. 

The boys were seen walking in the garage of their residential community while drawing lines on the hoods of three cars with a black marker early Sunday morning. On Sunday night, one car owner shared the surveillance video in the group chat of the residential community, urging the children's parents to discipline them strictly.

After witnessing his sons' behavior on Monday around 1 am, Chen, 29, used an electric cord from a power strip at home to whip the two boys. The children's mother, Wang, then posted the video of Chen whipping the children to the group chat, saying that they had severely disciplined the children, and also apologized to the car owners, according to the police statement.

The two boys have been taken for a medical examination, which revealed that they suffered soft tissue injuries on their buttocks, both lower legs, and back.

District government officials have organized the local neighborhood committee, women's federation, education and other relevant departments to provide psychological counseling and follow-up services for the children. 

The public security authorities have officially filed a case and taken criminal coercive measures against Chen, and the investigation is ongoing, according to the police statement.

The police urged the public not to distribute the videos or images related to this incident as it involves minors.