NGOs petition for redefining rape criminalization

Several Chinese NGOs and nearly 1,150 citizens have signed a petition appealing for lawmakers extend the legal definition of rape to include males.

China has no laws on forced sex targeting men, and such cases are not categorized as rape, though they are occasionally reported.

A 53-year-old security guard in Jiangxi Province was tied up and sexually abused by a younger man last week, according to local media. The suspect has been detained by police but may not be convicted due to lack of legal grounds to charge him.

The petition was initiated by women's rights organization Beijing Yuanzhong Gender Development Center and has been delivered to the Standing Committee of the National People Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, according to the Xinkuaibao newspaper.

The NPC has just ended a public consultation on a draft legal amendment.

"Men should enjoy the same autonomous sexual right as women and should be equally protected by law," according to the petition, first signed by Li Ying, a lawyer and head of the Yuanzhong Gender Development Center.

"It's not reasonable to say that forced intercourse with a woman is rape, while forced intercourse with a man is not rape. Forced sex violates the male victim's will and causes harm, which should be identified as a crime," said lawmaker Wang Mingwen.

Discussion of the topic has gone viral on social media. An online survey of more than 5,700 people showed 93 percent support the proposal, while 5 percent oppose it. The remainder are not sure.

"Rape itself is a crime, irrespective of gender and age," said a user of Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.