Chinese court upholds gang-rape verdict

A court in Beijing on Wednesday upheld the verdict in the case of the teenage son of a prominent military singer who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape in September. The 17-year-old son of the singer Li Shuangjiang, 74, was among five men convicted of gang-raping a woman in a Beijing hotel on Feb. 7, which generated huge public outcry and heated controversy. Li was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Beijing Municipal Haidian District People's Court on Sept. 26 on charges of gang rape and lodged an appeal through his lawyer on Oct. 10 to the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court. Another defendant in the case, surnamed Wang, also appealed to the court after being sentenced to 12 years in prison. The case was heard in a private session on Nov. 19 to protect Li's rights as a juvenile. Wang stood the second trial together with Li. Defense lawyers for the two defendants insisted on the innocence of their clients, the court said. The Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court rejected Li's and Wang's appeals, and said the verdict delivered by Beijing Municipal Haidian District People's Court was based on ample evidence and was in accordance with the law. The singer Li taught at the Academy of Arts affiliated with the Chinese armed forces. His wife is also a well-known singer.