Anhui police promised Monday to continue investigation into a teenager assault after the victim's mother posted a desperate note for help on the Internet.

Police said the suspect, a 17-year-old boy surnamed Tao, had been detained since last September in Hefei for allegedly setting fire on a girl who turned him down.

Police previously claimed they could not proceed with investigation because hospitalization of the victim had postponed forensic tests.

The case caused a public outcry after the victim's mother went online last week to call for help, describing the gruesome details of the assault and posting photos of her daughter's bandage-wrapped face.

A hospital diagnosis indicated that about 32 percent of girl's body had been burned.

Tao and the girl, surnamed Zhou, both studied in a middle school in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province. Zhou had been shunning Tao before her parents even got her on sick leave for a year and arranged for her to transfer schools to avoid the boy.

Frustrated and angry, Tao, the son of a low-level functionary couple, went to Zhou's home, poured gasoline on her face, and lit it with a lighter. Zhou's aunt heard screams and came to rescue, putting the fire out and rushing Zhou to hospital. Tao was arrested the following day.

Zhou's mother said in the online note that the family had been struggling to pay for the costly treatment and she hoped the case could be processed faster so the family could soon get the compensation to cover the treatment.

安徽警方周一承诺将继续调查一桩青少年恶性袭击事件。受害人的母亲此前在网上发帖求助。

据称，17岁的犯罪嫌疑人陶某某在去年九月纵火焚烧一名拒绝他求爱的少女。警方表示，他此后一直羁押在合肥市第一看守所。

警方先前称，因受害人正在接受医治，难以开展伤情鉴定，故调查暂时无法继续进行。

受害人的母亲上周在网上发帖求助，提供了这次袭击的有关细节，令人毛骨悚然；她同时上传了照片，展示女儿缠满绷带的脸。自此本案在公众中引起轩然大波。

医院的诊断证明，女孩全身32%的面积被烧伤。

家住安徽省省会合肥市的陶某某和女孩周某是中学同学。周某一直躲避陶某某的追求；后来，周某的父母甚至帮她办了一年病休，并安排周某转学以避开陶某某。

陶某某的父母都是普通的公务员。他求爱受挫，心生愤懑，于是来到周某的家中，将打火机燃油泼在女孩脸上并点燃。周某的阿姨听到尖叫声赶来将火扑灭，并将周某送医急救。事件发生后，陶某某一直被羁押在看守所。

周某的母亲在帖子中说，为了支付女儿昂贵的医疗费用，家中已经捉襟见肘。她希望此案早日进入司法程序，从而得到应有的赔偿，救治周岩的伤情。