2009 Xishui sex trial
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Xishui sex trial is a court case in Xishui County
, Guizhou
, China
involving the rape
of under-aged girls by 7 people, 4 of which are government officials from the Communist Party of China
. The officials were sentenced in a County court and aroused anger on the Chinese blogosphere and drew popular protests.
, Guizhou
. An unemployed 37-year old women named Yuan Li offered her own apartment as a hospitality venue for about 100 yuan
or 30% of the income. The remaining profit went to a 14-year old and 15-year old teenager who helped abduct schoolgirls from one primary school and three junior high schools. Comments from internet chat rooms said underaged girls were forced to have sex with government officials. The mother of an abused girl eventually reported the case to local police bureau on August 15, 2008. Police subsequently began investigating the case. An 8-member team went undercover in the county for 10 days. By the end of October, 7 people were arrested on charges of organizing and forcing 11 girls into prostitution. Three of the girls were under the age of 14.
of Xishui County on April 8, 2009. The following people were identified "customers" of the prostitution ring.
The 16-hour trial ended without a verdict. There are two interpretations of the law. According to clause 236, having sex with a girl under the age of 14 should be treated as a rape and punished severely. According to clause 360, visiting a prostitute who is under the age of 14 should carry a jail sentence of five years or more. The rape offence can result in a death penalty while the second offence carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. The government officials received the lesser offense.
More than 1,000 people gathered outside the court and showed anger. The case has provoked nationwide anger at the shame of the officials and the way the trial was handled.
Xishui County, Guizhou
Xishui County...
, Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
involving the rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
of under-aged girls by 7 people, 4 of which are government officials from the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
. The officials were sentenced in a County court and aroused anger on the Chinese blogosphere and drew popular protests.
Event
Between October 2007 to July 2008 a number of underaged teenage girls were raped in XishuiXishui County, Guizhou
Xishui County...
, Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
. An unemployed 37-year old women named Yuan Li offered her own apartment as a hospitality venue for about 100 yuan
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
or 30% of the income. The remaining profit went to a 14-year old and 15-year old teenager who helped abduct schoolgirls from one primary school and three junior high schools. Comments from internet chat rooms said underaged girls were forced to have sex with government officials. The mother of an abused girl eventually reported the case to local police bureau on August 15, 2008. Police subsequently began investigating the case. An 8-member team went undercover in the county for 10 days. By the end of October, 7 people were arrested on charges of organizing and forcing 11 girls into prostitution. Three of the girls were under the age of 14.
Trial
The close-door trial started at the People's CourtPeople's Court
The People's Court may refer to:* local people's courts of the People's Republic of China* Vietnamese People's Court* People's Court , a court established by Adolf Hitler to deal with those accused of political offences...
of Xishui County on April 8, 2009. The following people were identified "customers" of the prostitution ring.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Li Shoumin | county migration official |
| Chen Mengran | land and resource official |
| Huang Yongliang | social security official |
| Chen Cun | legal affairs official |
| Mu Mingzhong | legislator |
| Feng Zhiyang | vocational school teacher |
| Feng Yong | taxi driver |
The 16-hour trial ended without a verdict. There are two interpretations of the law. According to clause 236, having sex with a girl under the age of 14 should be treated as a rape and punished severely. According to clause 360, visiting a prostitute who is under the age of 14 should carry a jail sentence of five years or more. The rape offence can result in a death penalty while the second offence carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. The government officials received the lesser offense.
More than 1,000 people gathered outside the court and showed anger. The case has provoked nationwide anger at the shame of the officials and the way the trial was handled.