3 years added to rape sentence
Print Edition
A FORMER county official in southwest China was sentenced to eight years in prison yesterday for the rape of a 4-year-old girl, three years longer than a sentence handed down earlier.
The People’s Court in Daguan County, Yunnan Province, announced the extended term for Guo Yuchi, a former Daguan official, three days after a retrial.
Guo was jailed for five years in September but his “lenient” sentence caused a public outcry.
A court statement yesterday said Guo deserved a harsher penalty because he was a public servant. The original sentence was “inappropriate,” the statement said.
Criminal law stipulates three to 10 years for the rape of a female. If the victim is under 14, the offender should be given a heavier sentence within the range.
But an offender could face a jail term of more than 10 years, life imprisonment or the death penalty if he takes part in a gang rape, rapes multiple victims or causes serious injuries or death, said Hong Daode, a professor with China University of Political Science and Law.
The court said the latest sentence took into consideration that Guo had confessed and compensated the victim’s family. The original verdict rejected compensation to the victim, but Guo later agreed to pay the family 150,000 yuan (US$24,660).
The victim’s mother said the new sentence was lighter than she expected but the family had not decided whether to appeal.
In October, the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice announced a guideline on tougher penalties for public servants involved in sexual offenses against minors, after a spate of cases involving government employees and teachers.
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