Woman accuses influential media executive of rape

A former influential media executive on Wednesday was accused of raping a woman in May, the latest incident in China’s “Me Too” movement that has exposed professors and charity activists of engaging in sexual misconduct.

An anonymous woman accused Zhang Wen, a former editorial board member of the China News Service’s China Newsweek magazine, of raping her on May 15 after a party, The Beijing News reported Wednesday.

The woman told the newspaper that she has her underwear as evidence that the rape took place, though she has not turned it over to the police.

However, Zhang Wen’s attorney, Zhang Qingwen, issued a statement on Wednesday claiming the rape never took place.

“If the woman really has evidence, she should call the police to prove it. If she cannot prove it, sorry, we won’t issue an apology,” Zhang Qingwen told the Global Times on Monday, saying he will prove his client’s innocence if he continues to be accused.

Following the online article, Jiang Fangzhou, a famous female writer with 7.5 million followers on Sina Weibo, also accused Zhang Wen of sexually harassing her. She claims Zhang Wen is preparing to emigrate to the US.

In a response posted Wednesday night, Zhang Wen admitted to having sex with the woman but said the sex was “consensual.”

He said that “in the communities of media and public intellectuals, it is common to drink at parties, both men and women… afterwards people would take photos, then hug, kiss and embrace.”

He also claimed that the anonymous woman had extramarital relations with other men and hinted Jiang is not virtuous either for having “many boyfriends.”

Zhang Wen published the book, Democracy Should Be Taken Seriously, in 2011, which sparked discussions.

The accusation is the latest in which a prominent man allegedly used fame and resources to sexually harass people. On Tuesday, two prominent Chinese charity activists admitted to sexual harassment and misconduct accusations.

The hashtag “Me Too” on Weibo has been viewed more than 55 million times with 45,000 comments.