Spoiled elites lamented after gang-rape case
Source: Agencies/Shanghai Daily |
February 26, 2013, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party yesterday lamented a generation who had never tasted "hard work" after the son of a general was detained on suspicion of involvement in a gang rape.
Li Guanfeng, the teenage son of army Major General Li Shuangjiang - a popular military singer and household name in the country - went into custody on Thursday in the latest allegation against privileged children of officials to spark public outrage.
The news has dominated Internet message boards, online news portals and state-run newspapers in China, where crimes by the offspring of the country's elite cause particular anger among people.
"Family education" among successful, well-known figures in China needs to be "cautious," said the People's Daily in an editorial. "Many of these children have not experienced the hard work needed in the struggle to achieve success, but are shown the results of this success.
"Used to getting everything they want and having all their problems handled, they will use their father's name as an excuse, take flaunting wealth for granted and regard defying the law as brave behavior."
Li Guanfeng is among five suspects detained over allegations of a sexual assault on February 17. They took a drunk woman to a hotel room, beat her and gang-raped her after they met her in a bar, Beijing Morning Post reported.
It was reported that Li Guanfeng has cooperated with police in the investigation. However, he mentioned his famous father from time to time, the Beijing Times reported.
His 47-year-old mother, Meng Ge, Li Shuangjiang's former student and second wife, has asked for leniency from the public for her son.
"My son made big mistakes! His case should be dealt with under the law," she said. "But, I hope the media and the public could forgive him," Meng said in an interview with Southwestern Metropolis Daily.
It is not the first time the 17-year-old has come to public attention. He was sent to a government correctional facility for one year in 2011 for beating a couple while their young child looked on. Hundreds of thousands of people went online to express outrage at the time, and the general apologized for his son's actions.
His parents changed his name from Li Tianyi to Li Guanfeng to give him a new start. However, netizens said it was his parents who spoiled him too much.
"I never beat him. I even cry myself when I just threaten him," the elder Li said. He added that his son is a good ice hockey player at Shattuck-Saint Mary's School in Minnesota in the United States.
Li Guanfeng's primary school classmates said he had pushed a second-grader down stairs when he was in the third grade, and he monopolized others' video game machines. But teachers never punished him because of his powerful family, they said.
A netizen also said Li Guanfeng fought with his classmates in the US over small disputes. He was once heard shouting, "I will crush you to death if you dare to come to China. Do you known who my father is?" the netizen said.
In another high-profile scandal, the son of a police chief tried to use his father's status after a fatal car crash he caused in 2010 in the northern province of Hebei. Li Qiming, 22, ran over a student and shouted, "Sue me if you dare. My father is Li Gang!" He got six years in prison.
Li Guanfeng, the teenage son of army Major General Li Shuangjiang - a popular military singer and household name in the country - went into custody on Thursday in the latest allegation against privileged children of officials to spark public outrage.
The news has dominated Internet message boards, online news portals and state-run newspapers in China, where crimes by the offspring of the country's elite cause particular anger among people.
"Family education" among successful, well-known figures in China needs to be "cautious," said the People's Daily in an editorial. "Many of these children have not experienced the hard work needed in the struggle to achieve success, but are shown the results of this success.
"Used to getting everything they want and having all their problems handled, they will use their father's name as an excuse, take flaunting wealth for granted and regard defying the law as brave behavior."
Li Guanfeng is among five suspects detained over allegations of a sexual assault on February 17. They took a drunk woman to a hotel room, beat her and gang-raped her after they met her in a bar, Beijing Morning Post reported.
It was reported that Li Guanfeng has cooperated with police in the investigation. However, he mentioned his famous father from time to time, the Beijing Times reported.
His 47-year-old mother, Meng Ge, Li Shuangjiang's former student and second wife, has asked for leniency from the public for her son.
"My son made big mistakes! His case should be dealt with under the law," she said. "But, I hope the media and the public could forgive him," Meng said in an interview with Southwestern Metropolis Daily.
It is not the first time the 17-year-old has come to public attention. He was sent to a government correctional facility for one year in 2011 for beating a couple while their young child looked on. Hundreds of thousands of people went online to express outrage at the time, and the general apologized for his son's actions.
His parents changed his name from Li Tianyi to Li Guanfeng to give him a new start. However, netizens said it was his parents who spoiled him too much.
"I never beat him. I even cry myself when I just threaten him," the elder Li said. He added that his son is a good ice hockey player at Shattuck-Saint Mary's School in Minnesota in the United States.
Li Guanfeng's primary school classmates said he had pushed a second-grader down stairs when he was in the third grade, and he monopolized others' video game machines. But teachers never punished him because of his powerful family, they said.
A netizen also said Li Guanfeng fought with his classmates in the US over small disputes. He was once heard shouting, "I will crush you to death if you dare to come to China. Do you known who my father is?" the netizen said.
In another high-profile scandal, the son of a police chief tried to use his father's status after a fatal car crash he caused in 2010 in the northern province of Hebei. Li Qiming, 22, ran over a student and shouted, "Sue me if you dare. My father is Li Gang!" He got six years in prison.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
