Man gets prison term in Beijing’s first male-on-male sexual assault case

A man has been sentenced to prison for one year in the first case of indecent assault between two males in Beijing, media reported on Monday.

The man, surnamed Dong, was sentenced to one year in jail and put on probation for one year for sexually assaulting his male friend, surnamed Li, according to the People’s Court in Beijing’s Shunyi district.

The incident happened in April in Shunyi district when Dong’s 41-year-old victim had fallen asleep after the two had been drinking. Dong later turned himself in to police and made peace with Li. Dong was convicted even though Li had forgiven him and his lawyer defended his actions by saying that he had acted on a passionate impulse.

China’s Criminal Law regulated in 2015 the perpetrator should be sentenced up to five years in prison if he performs a lewd act on anyone above 14 years old by using violence and intimidation.

Yi Shenghua, a renowned criminal defense lawyer, said that more attention is being paid to men’s sexual legal rights. “Seeing males as possible targets is a sign of progress, but laws regarding male’s sexual rights should be reinforced,” he noted.

This is not the first case of sexual assault between males in China. The People’s Procuratorate of Nantong Gangzha district, East China’s Jiangsu Province, sentenced a 24-yearold man to three months in prison for forcibly performing a lewd act on a male.