New twist in Li Tianyi rape case
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, August 8, 2013
The mother of Li Tianyi, the son of famous PLA singing couple, filed a complaint with Beijing police against a bar manager on Tuesday, a spokesman for the family said. Li is currently facing trial on charges of gang rape.
![Meng Ge.[File photo]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20130808/7427ea210acc136d4b7731.jpg "Meng Ge.[File photo]") |
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Meng Ge.[File photo] |
Li's mother Meng Ge filed the claim with the Beijing Public Security Bureau, accusing bar manager Zhang Guangyao of pimping and extortion.
The complaint forms a new twist in this very high-profile case. Li Tianyi, 17, is the son of Li Shuangjiang, a 72-year-old popular military singer. His mother is also a singer, albeit lesser known than her husband.
Along with four others, Li Tianyi has been accused of gang-raping a girl in a Beijing hotel last February. Li's attorneys have pleaded not guilty.
Li and his fellow suspects are now facing a stern trial and sentence, but Li's family has kept releasing information, claiming prostitution and extortion were involved in their son's case.
Zhang was the manager at the Beijing bar where Li and his friends met and picked up the girl whom they subsequently raped.
Beijing police admitted they have received Meng's complaints and will decide whether to further investigate the matter.
The Beijing Times quoted an alleged insider in telling details of the crime earlier this week. The insider claimed Li and his friends forced the victim, the drunk Ms. Yang, into a hotel room and beat her after she refused to take off her clothes. Li Tianyi was the first to rape the girl, the others followed suit without wearing condoms. They then gave Yang 2,000 yuan and left her on the side of the road.
According to the report, Yang is a 23-year-old from Hebei Province and a secretary with an advertisement company. She worked part-time at the bar to earn tips. Zhang, the Global Club manager, asked her to entertain the guests.
The bar responded on Wednesday that Meng Ge's claim was untrue and they would reserve the right to sue her.
"This is slander, pure nonsense; I think she's gone crazy," one of the executives said. "She has to realize libel is a crime. Meng Ge has completely lost her mind and is desperate to get her son out. But the police have come to the bar many times to collect evidence and prosecutors have solid evidence to establish their case. If she goes on like this, defaming the bar's honor, we will sue."
Tian Canjun, the victim's lawyer, once again denied yesterday his client is a prostitute and said, "She never asked Li for money." Tian said Li's family has filed similar complaints before with the police, but police has thus far always dismissed these.
"But it is her legal right to file a claim," Tian said.
Hong Daode, a professor from the China University of Political Science and Law, agreed and added that even if there was prostitution and extortion present in this case, that would be a different thing and could not change anything about Li Tianyi's rape case.
Hong pointed out that the key part of the case is whether the girl was forced or willing to have sex with the suspects. If Yang was drunk and unconscious and the suspects nonetheless proceeded to perform sex acts with her, that would be deemed rape and, in this case, gang rape.
Li Tianyi's rowdy behavior has created much trouble and controversy in recent years. Two years ago, Li and another teenager attacked a couple who were allegedly blocking the driveway near the entrance of a residential community in Beijing. He was later sent to a government correctional facility for one year.
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