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Wednesday 29 April 2009
Bar owner and girl, 15, charged with rape
A karaoke bar owner and 15-year-old girl have been charged with rape in Zhejiang province in a case that a media report says could involve up to 10 underage girls over a two-year period.
A karaoke bar owner and 15-year-old girl have been charged with rape in Zhejiang province in a case that a media report says could involve up to 10 underage girls over a two-year period.
A Liandu district propaganda department official confirmed yesterday by phone that several people including a karaoke bar owner and village officials were believed to be involved in the case.
Provincial news website Zhejiang Online reported yesterday that karaoke bar owner Chen Weijun and the girl, who was not identified because of her age, had been arrested last month by order of the Liandu district procuratorate in Lishui .
In addition, police had detained former village committee chief He Guobing in connection with the case and current village committee members. The propaganda department official could not give the exact number of girls and clients involved because police were still investigating.
According to Zhejiang Online, the girls, aged between 13 and 16, were students at Bi Hu Secondary School. They were involved in a scheme, similar to pyramid selling, run by Chen, in which at least three girls introduced their classmates to clients for commissions. The arrests were made after a victim reported a rape to police in February, the report said. Some victims were reportedly given alcohol and raped in cheap hotels but later agreed to have sex with clients in return for cash and gifts.
The sources quoted in the report said at least 10 girls had been raped, while a mother believed the number could be as high as 40.
The arrested girl’s mother said she only discovered her daughter had been charged with a crime when they went together to make a statement to police. The girl had allegedly received about 5,000 yuan (HK$5,685) in cash and gifts from Chen since 2007. On one occasion, she was allegedly given 300 yuan for referring a good-looking girl, who was also given 500 yuan after having sex with Chen, and more money to have an abortion.
It is the second case involving public officials raping underage girls that has come to light this year. Earlier this month, four Guizhou government officials, a teacher and a lawmaker were arrested, as well as a couple that recruited the girls and provided a venue for liaisons. On the mainland, some secondary school students live in school dormitories because the campuses are far from home. Their parents know little of their behaviour, especially when they need to work in other provinces.
The Guizhou case was supposed to be heard in the Xishui County People’s Court this month but it was withdrawn amid public outcry over the court’s original charge of “visiting teenage prostitutes”. People believed it should be child rape because the victims were under 16. The court said it withdrew the high-profile case because it needed further investigation based on new evidence.
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Bar owner and girl, 15, charged with rape
Kelly Chan
29 April 2009
A karaoke bar owner and 15-year-old girl have been charged with rape in Zhejiang province in a case that a media report says could involve up to 10 underage girls over a two-year period.
A Liandu district propaganda department official confirmed yesterday by phone that several people including a karaoke bar owner and village officials were believed to be involved in the case.
Provincial news website Zhejiang Online reported yesterday that karaoke bar owner Chen Weijun and the girl, who was not identified because of her age, had been arrested last month by order of the Liandu district procuratorate in Lishui .
In addition, police had detained former village committee chief He Guobing in connection with the case and current village committee members. The propaganda department official could not give the exact number of girls and clients involved because police were still investigating.
According to Zhejiang Online, the girls, aged between 13 and 16, were students at Bi Hu Secondary School. They were involved in a scheme, similar to pyramid selling, run by Chen, in which at least three girls introduced their classmates to clients for commissions. The arrests were made after a victim reported a rape to police in February, the report said. Some victims were reportedly given alcohol and raped in cheap hotels but later agreed to have sex with clients in return for cash and gifts.
The sources quoted in the report said at least 10 girls had been raped, while a mother believed the number could be as high as 40.
The arrested girl’s mother said she only discovered her daughter had been charged with a crime when they went together to make a statement to police. The girl had allegedly received about 5,000 yuan (HK$5,685) in cash and gifts from Chen since 2007. On one occasion, she was allegedly given 300 yuan for referring a good-looking girl, who was also given 500 yuan after having sex with Chen, and more money to have an abortion.
It is the second case involving public officials raping underage girls that has come to light this year. Earlier this month, four Guizhou government officials, a teacher and a lawmaker were arrested, as well as a couple that recruited the girls and provided a venue for liaisons. On the mainland, some secondary school students live in school dormitories because the campuses are far from home. Their parents know little of their behaviour, especially when they need to work in other provinces.
The Guizhou case was supposed to be heard in the Xishui County People’s Court this month but it was withdrawn amid public outcry over the court’s original charge of “visiting teenage prostitutes”. People believed it should be child rape because the victims were under 16. The court said it withdrew the high-profile case because it needed further investigation based on new evidence.
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