Southern Weekend, 2009-07-24
Just under one month after holding a one-day, non-public trial, the Zunyi (Guizhou Province) Intermediate Court announced the verdicts and sentences for eight defendants in the Xishui County (Guizhou) child rape case. The court found Yuan Ronghui guilty of enticing and forcing 10 girls (three under the age of 14) into prostitution and sentenced her to life imprisonment. Seven other defendants—six local government officials and one vocational high school teacher—were found guilty of “whoring with young girls” and received sentences ranging from 14 to 7 years fixed-term imprisonment. Earlier national media attention had focused on why prosecutors had not brought charges of rape (as statutorily allowed when the victim is under 14-years-old), with prosecutors first responding that “whoring with young girls” allowed more substantial minimum sentencing and later saying statutory rape required specific intent and knowledge, evidence of which was lacking.
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