Southern Weekend, 2009-05-18
A higher level procuratorate filed forced prostitution and “whoring with young girls” charges against eight defendants, several of whom were local officials, in the Zunyi City (Sichuan Province) Intermediate Court nearly a month after the Xishui County procuracy withdraw—due to “discovering changes in the facts and evidence of the case”—similar charges filed at the county level. The forced prostitution charge against primary defendant Yuan Ronghui, is more serious than the previous “sheltering and procuring prostitution” charge and, because it carries a maximum penalty of death, must be tried by an intermediate-level court. The “whoring with young girls” charge is unchanged, despite drawing harsh public criticism demanding it be increased to rape. During an interview, a prosecutor with the Zunyi City Procuratorate denied the influence of public opinion on the handling of the case.
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