Rape victim 'loses mind' as suspect not charged
Shanghai Daily, August 9, 2013
A 13-year-old rape victim was driven to a psychiatric hospital by police after she "lost her mind" because Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region prosecutors rejected approving the arrest of the suspect, who was said to have close relations with officials.
The 25-year-old suspect surnamed Feng tricked the victim, an online friend, to meet him and raped her five times overnight at a hotel room in March, her mother surnamed Liu was quoted as saying yesterday in Beijing Youth Daily.
The victim had scratched around Feng's eyes in a struggle to escape, the report said. Liu told the newspaper that her daughter begged to be freed.
The next day, Feng sent Liu a message telling her to pick up her daughter in a park. Liu said when she arrived her daughter was dull and sluggish, and refused to speak, according to the report.
Feng had admitted raping the girl, offered 10,000 yuan (US$1,634) to the family and also promised to marry the girl, according to Liu.
The girl's family rejected the offer and called police in Luchuan County. Liu told the newspaper police detained Feng on April 4, but prosecutors rejected arresting him on both April 17 and 22 due to "unclear facts and insufficient evidence."
A prosecutor reportedly told the family the suspect didn't know the victim's age when they had sex, thus he wouldn't be charged.
Having sex with a girl under the age of 14 can lead to statutory rape charges under Chinese law.
Liu told the newspaper one of Feng's relatives was a police officer and they suspected local legal departments were trying to cover up the case. Luchuan prosecutors declined media interviews, the report said.
After learning Feng was released on bail, the victim "lost her mind," Liu told the newspaper.
"We called police for help. But they handcuffed her and drove her to a psychiatric hospital. We felt so embarrassed," Liu reportedly said.
Police said the girl had resisted being taken away and they handcuffed her to avoid harm to herself and others.
After doctors examined her and prescribed some medicine, the girl was sent home, the report said.
