In China, a 17 year old son of a
popular Chinese military musician has been accused of being part of a gang that
raped one girl. His father Li Shuagjiang is famous; he has starred in various
television galas and made People’s Liberation Army’s anthems. His father is a
well respected musician and the media refers to him as the “general” despite
being just a civilian PLA member.
Li Tianyi is minor at the age of 17
years; He told the court he was too drunk and even passed out during the February
incident. Tianyi claimed that he did not touch the girl; he neither had sex
with nor beat her. He was accused with four others; both lawyer, Tianyi’s and
the victim’s released statements through the media and formed a public opinion.
This is likely to put indirect effect on the outcome of the case because the
Communist party officials’ control courts in China will be influenced. This case
brought up the public interest because children of the elite in China are seen
as very spoilt. The trial had to be closed because the accused is underage.
Tianyi’s lawyers blamed the bar in
Beijing for allowing under aged teenagers drink alcohol. It was not easy for
the victim to come forward and report the rape attack because she received
threats.
There were big online debates that
could not help questioning the reputation of the accused. They lay bare their
anger over how the rich and those connected with the powerful people in China go
unpunished. This is not the first time this teenager is taken to court. In
2011, he attacked a couple after a small traffic dispute. He also threatened
people who gathered to see what was happening and the case got widespread
attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment