A taboo in the past, teen love has crept back into the public arena in China in recent years. Teenagers have become bolder in showing their feelings and sometimes displaying their emotions to the extreme.

Netizens also called into question the parenting of today's teenagers, especially children of privileged families, and urged a fair investigation without further delays.

Tao's father tweeted a public apology, saying he was sorry for the failure in parenting that resulted in "irreversible harms" to Zhou and endless sorrows to her family.

"Such a tragedy should not have happened. The future of both kids are ruined," the father wrote. "Tao looks like a grown-up but he is still immature and can not properly handle his emotions well."

"I will not shun away from the legal responsibility," he said.

Local police said they were only allowed to take forensic tests on Zhou last Friday after her discharge from the intensive care. The results of the forensic tests will help prosecutors determine charges.

China's criminal code rules that a person can get up to 10 years in prison for intentional assault. Minors of age 14 or above and under 18 can not be acquitted for the crime.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua February 29, 2012)

青少年早戀問題在過去是個禁忌；而近年來，不知不覺間，這種現象在中國逐漸正大光明起來。如今的青少年在表現感情方面更加大膽，有時甚至會走向極端。

網友們也開始質疑今日的青少年——特別是特權家庭的子女——的家庭教育問題，同時敦促警方盡快開展公平的調查。

陶某某的父親在微博上公開道歉，稱自己教子無方給周某及周某一家造成了“無可挽回的傷害和痛苦”，他為此表示深深地愧疚。

這位父親寫道，他也不想看到這樣的悲劇，周某毀了，陶某某也毀了。他說，陶某某外表看起來就是個大小伙子，但心理依舊非常不成熟，自控能力極差。

“我絕不回避我應該承擔的法律責任，”他說。

當地警方表示，在周某結束特別護理之后，直至上周五警方才得以為其做傷情鑒定。檢察官將依據鑒定結果做出指控決定。

中國刑法規(guī)定，故意傷害罪可判長達10年的監(jiān)禁。在這種情況下，已滿14周歲未滿18周歲的犯罪者也不能免于刑事責任。