Cops deny gang rape suspects are well-connected

Beijing police denied late Monday that four unnamed suspects in a high-profile gang rape case have strong family connections and confirmed the case has been transferred to the prosecutor's office.

Speculation surrounding the case has been rife, after police only revealed information about the fifth suspect, 17-year-old Li Tianyi, the son of two famous military singers, Li Shuangjiang and Meng Ge.

He was detained in February for allegedly participating in the gang rape of a girl in a hotel room with four accomplices.

A police officer from the legal affairs office of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau told people.com.cn Monday that as four of the suspects, including Li, are all minors, their personal information cannot be publicized in accordance with laws.

One of the suspects is an adult, but no details have been released, with no reason given as to why.

Li's name was revealed by Weibo users in February, who pointed out that one rapist named Li Guanfeng was actually Li Tianyi. Li was then just released from one-year's re-education in September for attacking a couple.

China's law on the protection of minors stipulates that their name, residence, photo and other information that could lead to identification are not allowed to be disclosed.

The officer also clarified that the rumors over the family backgrounds of the other suspects are untrue, adding that disseminators of the fake information would be punished for disturbing the social order.

Li's case came to the spotlight again after his lawyer Xue Zhenyuan recently resigned, reportedly after Li's mother had insisted that Li must plead innocent.

Lu Yingzhong, a defense lawyer from the Beijing-based Fada Law Firm, said the police should at least release more details of the adult charged, as the case is entering the trial phase. "The police should be transparent," he said.

"There is no separate crime of gang rape in China so they will be charged with rape," said Lu, adding that an adult charged with rape may expect a sentence of three to 10 years, but longer if more people are involved.

"In a gang rape case, minors might face three to 10 years in jail, and the principal criminal, if a minor, will get from five to 10 years," Lu noted.