East China's Jiangsu province has established an investigation team to look into a high-profile case of a woman suspected of being trafficked.
The provincial government said on Thursday that it will root out the truth and promised to release the results of the team's investigation in a timely manner.
It pledged to severely punish anyone involved in any criminal activity related to the case, adding that civil servants involved will also be held accountable.
The decision to establish the team was made after a video of the woman went viral on Chinese social media.
In the video, the woman was wearing light clothing with an iron chain placed around her neck. She appeared to be confined to a dilapidated hut in Fengxian county in Xuzhou, Jiangsu.
The Xuzhou authorities have determined that the woman, surnamed Yang, has eight children and is from a village in Yunnan province.
The video, which was posted at the end of last month, quickly sparked outrage, with many infuriated netizens demanding a thorough investigation.
The team said in a statement that it will thoroughly look into the case. Netizens have called for further investigation of the woman's identity and well-being.
