What’s new: Prosecutors in Beijing on Monday issued a warrant for the arrest of Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu on suspicion of rape, according to a single sentence official statement (link in Chinese).
The background: Wu was detained (link in Chinese) last month after police began investigating online allegations that the 30-year-old “repeatedly tricked young women into sexual relations,” according to a police statement. Last month, Wu was publicly accused of a series of sexual assaults.
More than a dozen Chinese and foreign brands earlier said they terminated brand ambassador or spokesperson contracts with Wu. The companies involved included Chinese streaming site Tencent Video, Italian luxury brand Bulgari and French high fashion brand Louis Vuitton. The high-profile case also prompted an outpouring of online criticism about Wu’s alleged misconduct.
Under Chinese law, a rape conviction can result in a prison sentence of three to 10 years, or even longer if aggravating factors such as the involvement of minors under 14 or multiple victims are taken into account.
Contact editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com)
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