Beijing confirmed on August 21 that Simon Cheng, an employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong, was detained for violating the law. However, many media outlets and Cheng's family were not satisfied with this answer, saying they demand the real reason for Cheng's punishment while criticizing Shenzhen police for making an unwarranted arrest. On August 22, the Shenzhen police revealed the specific reason for Cheng's arrest, saying he was detained on prostitution charges.