Police in China arrested a man 28 years after he was accused of hugging a woman against her will -- a serious charge at the time -- only to find he had married his "victim", state media said Friday. Chen Zonghao was accused of "hooliganism" -- a charge that no longer exists under Chinese law -- in the 1980s, at a time when China toughened measures against "immoral" behaviour, the official China Daily newspaper said. He had allegedly hugged a female colleague against her consent in the southern island of Hainan and the woman's parents reported the incident to the police, prompting Chen to flee to his hometown in nearby Guangdong province. Hainan police officers finally arrested Chen in Guangdong on October 3 -- three decades on -- after driving 1,100 kilometres (680 miles) in a strong typhoon, the report said. But they found he had married the alleged victim. The couple now have two sons and a daughter and run a shop together. An officer at Hainan's Wanning police station, who would not give her name, confirmed the case when contacted by AFP. "He is on bail and it's not clear yet what we will do next, the police are still investigating and will decide," she said. A spokesman for police in Hainan told the China Daily that they "still had a responsibility to arrest the criminal and close the case", even though the charge no longer exists. "But we have to consider the special circumstances, since the victim has married her assailant and said she doesn't want her husband to go to prison," he was quoted as saying. The hooliganism charge was deleted from China's criminal law in 1997. But in the 1980s, it could result in the death penalty as authorities cracked down on "immoral" acts such as gang fighting and vandalism, the report said. At the time, China was only just starting to open up to the outside world and there were still very strict moral standards governing relationships between men and women. A police officer told the Hainan-based South China Metropolitan Daily that they are trying to explain the special circumstances of the case to local prosecutors in the hope they will withdraw the lawsuit.
GMT 16:53 2018 Thursday ,06 December
Prominent Rwandan activist Diane Rwigara acquitted of 'insurrection'GMT 21:37 2018 Friday ,23 November
Bahrain's efforts to protect women's rights praisedGMT 14:39 2018 Tuesday ,30 October
Russia and China can overcome US sanctions pressureGMT 13:31 2018 Tuesday ,30 October
Women wrestlers take on tradition in south IraqGMT 14:19 2018 Friday ,12 October
Women's strides in Bahrain and UAE highlightedGMT 19:31 2018 Thursday ,11 October
Young Egyptian woman serves as minister for a dayGMT 19:46 2018 Wednesday ,10 October
Bahrain keen on promoting peace, security globallyGMT 19:06 2018 Wednesday ,10 October
South Korea reviews DPRK sanctions "Kang Kyung-wha"Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor