Alibaba Manager Not Charged in China’s Latest #MeToo Moment

While plaintiffs can file civil cases, China’s court system typically offers them little recourse when it comes to workplace sexual assault and harassment. From 2010 to 2017, about as many civil suits came from those accused of misdeeds, alleging defamation, as from accusers.

The decision by the prosecutors generated mixed reactions online. “This man can start a training course: how to implement a noncriminal forcible indecency,” wrote one user sarcastically in a widely shared response.

A supporter of Mr. Wang’s argued back: “It’s good to act in accordance with the law, please don’t judge the case by public opinion.”

Mr. Wang’s wife said on her verified account on the social media platform Weibo that he was released Tuesday morning. She thanked the courts for their “fair handling of the case” and the “majority of enthusiastic netizens for their understanding, encouragement and support.”

While the #MeToo movement has lodged some small victories since it first emerged in China in 2018, women say the odds are still stacked against them in a country that tightly limits dissent and activism, and in which the top echelon of political leaders are almost exclusively male. Women say it can be almost impossible to file police complaints because they lack video evidence, which the authorities often require.

The Alibaba episode has fueled an increasingly vocal campaign against abuse and sexism in China. This summer, the police detained the popular Canadian Chinese singer Kris Wu on suspicion of rape after an 18-year-old university student in Beijing accused him of pressuring young women into having sex. Mr. Wu, who has been the most prominent figure to face #MeToo allegations, has denied the allegations.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/business/china-alibaba-rape.html