Gang rape victim not 'hostess'

The alleged victim of a high-profile gang rape case that involves the son of two famous military singers slammed the accusation on Monday that she is a "bar hostess," and said that even prostitutes should enjoy basic human rights.

The victim, surnamed Yang, released a statement on Monday on Sina Weibo via her lawyer, Tian Canjun, which said "she does not understand the connotation of the term 'hostess' as brought up by the suspect's family" and said that "even hostesses should enjoy basic human rights, such as safety, freedom and respect."

"We cannot label a girl as a 'hostess' simply because she drinks with someone. Furthermore, we cannot infringe upon a girl's rights, her body and her dignity without legal responsibility simply because she is labeled a hostess," said the statement.

Yang's statement came after the Legal Mirror, a Beijing-based newspaper, quoted an anonymous source as saying that the family of one of the suspects speculated that Yang was a hostess at the bar and said Yang was fairly sober when the alleged gang rape took place, hinting the sex was not by force but consensual.

The suspect, surnamed Li, is the 17-year-old son of two high-profile People's Liberation Army singers. He and four other people allegedly participated in a gang rape on February 17 in Beijing.

Tian, a lawyer from the Beijing Zhongshou Law Firm, said on his Weibo that lawyers from both sides are applying to review the files on the case and that "Yang was forced to make such a statement" as statements from Li's family have damaged her personal image and social reputation.

"Whether Yang is a hostess does not change the fact that Li and the other suspects have committed a crime and it should definitely not shield them from legal punishment," the Beijing Times quoted Tian as saying.

Mao Lixin, a lawyer from the Shangquan Law Firm in Beijing, agreed. "The key factor to judge a rape case is whether the behavior is against the woman's will, not the woman's identity or status," Mao told the Global Times.

The statement is the latest update on the case after the defense lawyers of Li slammed the police and media on July 10 for naming their client even though he is a minor, and therefore subject to privacy laws.

Only one of the alleged rapists is an adult, a man who prosecutors identified as being surnamed Wang, and working in the travel business.