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)

青少年早恋问题在过去是个禁忌；而近年来，不知不觉间，这种现象在中国逐渐正大光明起来。如今的青少年在表现感情方面更加大胆，有时甚至会走向极端。

网友们也开始质疑今日的青少年——特别是特权家庭的子女——的家庭教育问题，同时敦促警方尽快开展公平的调查。

陶某某的父亲在微博上公开道歉，称自己教子无方给周某及周某一家造成了“无可挽回的伤害和痛苦”，他为此表示深深地愧疚。

这位父亲写道，他也不想看到这样的悲剧，周某毁了，陶某某也毁了。他说，陶某某外表看起来就是个大小伙子，但心理依旧非常不成熟，自控能力极差。

“我绝不回避我应该承担的法律责任，”他说。

当地警方表示，在周某结束特别护理之后，直至上周五警方才得以为其做伤情鉴定。检察官将依据鉴定结果做出指控决定。

中国刑法规定，故意伤害罪可判长达10年的监禁。在这种情况下，已满14周岁未满18周岁的犯罪者也不能免于刑事责任。