“Lack of evidence.” With this motivation, a Beijing court acquitted in first instance Zhu Jun, one of the most famous television hosts in the country of Cctv, (China Central Television or Chinese Central Television) from the sexual harassment allegation. An intern had reported him. The case was considered a “symbol” of the Chinese #MeToo movement given the importance of the character who ended up in the crosshairs of justice. To report the news the BBc and the Global Times.
A 28-year-old woman, Zhou Xiaoxuan, known by the online nickname of Xianzi, ended up in Zhu’s dock. He had recounted the harassment suffered by the man in a video that immediately went viral on social media in 2018, in which he said that four years earlier, in 2014, while he was doing an internship at Cctv, the conductor had groped and kissed her in a dressing room against her will. The TV star had immediately denied any allegations.
Chinese courts rarely grant hearings to cases that have only recently seen legislation clearly defining sexual harassment. The woman anticipated the intention to appeal, thanking the supporters, many of whom had gathered outside the court. But the worries for Zhou are not over. Now he faces a lawsuit brought by the TV host for damaging his reputation and mental well-being.
The dismissal of Xianzi’s case comes amid growing demands for justice for victims of sexual harassment or assault. Last week, a court in northeastern Shandong province filed another high-profile case initiated by an employee of the e-commerce giant Alibaba, who claimed she was raped by a manager. In July, however, Sino-Canadian pop star Kris Wu was arrested after several women accused him of rape and sexual coercion.