Canadian Singer Kris Wu Sentenced to Prison for Rape in China - The New York Times

Business|Chinese Court Sentences Canadian Singer to Prison for Rape

Kris Wu, a Canadian Chinese popular vocalist who was erstwhile 1 of China’s astir fashionable entertainers, was recovered blameworthy of rape by a Beijing tribunal and sentenced to 13 years successful situation connected Friday, becoming 1 of the astir salient figures successful the state to beryllium punished for #MeToo allegations.

In a connection connected societal media the Chaoyang District People’s Court successful Beijing said Mr. Wu was convicted of taking vantage of 3 drunken women and forcibly having enactment with them astatine his location successful 2020. He was besides recovered blameworthy of “gathering a assemblage to prosecute successful promiscuous activities,” the tribunal said.

Before his apprehension successful 2021, Mr. Wu, who is known successful China arsenic Wu Yifan, was a superstar with tens of millions of followers connected societal media. Born successful China and raised partially successful Canada, helium roseate to fame arsenic a subordinate of the Korean popular set EXO earlier establishing a palmy solo vocation arsenic a model, vocalist and actor. He had endorsement deals with much than a twelve salient home and planetary brands, including Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and Porsche.

But his vocation came crashing down erstwhile helium was accused by an 18-year-old assemblage pupil of enticing young women similar herself to his location to sermon imaginable vocation opportunities and past plying them with intoxicant earlier pressuring them for sex. The accuser, Du Meizhu, said she believed that Mr. Wu had done this to different young women.

Initially, the police’s preliminary findings of her allegations said she had played up her communicative “to heighten her online popularity,” sparking outrage by her supporters and drafting accusations that the authorities were shaming a victim.

This helped to amplify Ms. Du’s allegations, gathering a uncommon groundswell of enactment successful a state wherever women are often discouraged from coming guardant with complaints for intersexual misconduct, and wherever victims of intersexual battle and harassment are often targeted for online maltreatment and adjacent sued for defamation.

“This time has yet arrived,” Ms. Du wrote connected the country’s fashionable Weibo societal media level aft the situation condemnation was announced. “I americium precise grateful for China’s ineligible strategy that does not spare immoderate criminals, adjacent if helium is simply a large star,” she aboriginal added.

After Mr. Wu’s detention past year, propaganda outlets of China’s ruling Communist Party hailed the apprehension arsenic a acquisition to celebrities that fame volition not shield them from justice.

In its statement, the tribunal said helium would besides beryllium deported. Officials from the Canadian embassy successful China attended the sentencing hearing, the tribunal said. Mr. Wu, who had denied the allegations erstwhile they archetypal surfaced, has the close to entreaty his condemnation and 13-year situation term. Mr. Wu’s lawyer could not beryllium instantly reached.

In a abstracted announcement, the Chinese authorities said it would question 600 cardinal yuan, oregon astir $83 million, from Mr. Wu for taxation evasion, overdue fees, and fines, according to Xinhua, a state-owned quality agency.

Supporters of China’s nascent #MeToo question said the conviction, if it stands, would service arsenic a informing to perpetrators of intersexual misconduct.

“It volition besides promote immoderate women to person the courageousness to travel guardant to support their rights successful an situation wherever victims are often shamed and humiliated,” said Huang Simin, a mainland-based quality rights lawyer who has worked connected cases related to sex violence.