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Child-rape trial ends, verdict pending

THE trial of seven people, including four government officials, a legislator, a teacher and a taxi driver, on child rape charges at a court in southwest China's Guizhou Province, ended early yesterday. The verdict will be announced at a later date, according to court sources.

The closed-door trial started at 8:30am on Wednesday at the People's Court of Xishui County. It ended at 0:30am yesterday.

"Because the case involves underage victims, we decided not to hold an open trial," court president Yu Deping said on Wednesday.

"It's a case that could have a very negative impact on society and we'll strictly abide by laws to handle it," he said.

Among the accused are official Li Shouming, in charge of the county migration office; land and resources official Chen Mengran; social security official Huang Yongliang; legal affairs official Chen Cun; legislator Mu Mingzhong; vocational school teacher Feng Zhiyang; and taxi driver Feng Yong.

Li was removed from his post before the trial, and Mu, also a manager at a real estate company, was suspended from his post as a legislator, said Li Ling, secretary of the Xishui County Committee of the Communist Party of China.

"(If found guilty) the other government officials will also face severe punishment after the trial is over," he said.

The suspects are accused of raping more than 10 teenage girls in Xishui County, from October 2007 to July 2008, said Yuan Yunqin from the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Xishui County Committee.

Local police started an investigation into the case on August 15 last year when a victim's mother reported her daughter had been raped, Yuan said.

Chinese law imposes jail terms of from three to 10 years for rapists, but child rapists can be sentenced to life, or even death, if they know the victim is under 14.




 

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