Kris Wu thought to be sentenced on rape charges following secret trial in Beijing

Content warning: This article discusses allegations of sexual assault.

Kris Wu is to be sentenced over charges of rape and “group licentiousness”, it has been reported, with a secret trial said to have been held in Beijing on Friday (June 10).

According to the South China Morning Post, word of the trial was kept hush out of respect for the alleged victim’s safety. It comes 10 months after Wu was formally arrested on suspicion of rape. The first allegations of his predatory behaviour – which included claims of date rape and preying on underage girls – were made on July 18, 2021. After being detained by Chinese police 13 days later (July 31), he was arrested on August 16.

Prior to his arrest, authorities stated that Wu was detained “in response to relevant information reported on the internet”, which included claims that the former K-pop idol and brand ambassador had “repeatedly deceived young women into sexual relations”. Days after he was detained, another woman from Los Angeles accused Wu of raping her as a teenager. Wu has strenuously denied all the allegations against him.

Wu was reportedly tried at the Chaoyang District People’s Court. A verdict is yet to be decided, but as Variety notes, Chinese courts have a 99.9 per cent conviction rate. The average jail sentence for an offender convicted on rape charges is three to 10 years, though unusually heinous cases can result in escalated punishments, including life sentences and the death penalty.

“Group licentiousness” describes frequent engagement in group sex with three or more participants. A crime in China, being charged with group licentiousness can result in a jail sentence of up to five years, though longer sentences can be passed down if the offender is found to have lured or involved minors in their activities.

China’s age of consent is 14. A well-known beauty influencer claimed that Wu date-raped her at 17 and targeted other minors, however it has not been said how old any of Wu’s other alleged victims may be. When he was formally charged over the allegations, it was reported that Wu could also be deported.

The artist was born in China, but is a Canadian citizen. Last November, it was revealed by the China Association Of Performing Arts that Wu was among 88 celebrities that had been blacklisted in the country for “illegal and unethical behaviour”. According to an official notice posted by the association, the blacklist was created to “strengthen industry self-discipline.”

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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