Many people were reluctant to speak to reporters. Some denied they were present during the beatings. Others said they had stayed up through the night crying after trying unsuccessfully to stop the mob's assault.
But some residents complained police had ignored reports of the school kidnappings and said they did not regret what had happened.
"If the police aren't going to do anything, then the town has to take matters into their own hands," said 15-year-old Maria Eva Labana, who said she witnessed some of the attack firsthand before she ran home to watch the rest on TV.



