Chinese public outraged over case of Deng Yujiao

Who is Deng Yujiao you ask?

Source: Times Online

The case of the pedicurist and the lecherous official has galvanised public opinion in China.

Women’s groups, and even the conservative state Women’s Federation, have demanded fair treatment for 21-year-old Deng Yujiao who stabbed a low-ranking government official who demanded she provide him with“special services”.

Civil rights organisations and untold numbers of ordinary Chinese want an explanation for the arrest of a young woman who said she was defending herself against the unwanted advances of the 44-year-old director of the local business promotion office. And they want to know why a Communist Party official was frequenting a hotel that offered massages with “special services” – a euphemism for sex.

Such is the public indignation over Ms Deng’s fate that usually docile newspapers and websites have ignored a government directive issued last week ordering all reports to toe the official line.

The case is particularly emotive since it cuts to the heart of many of the most sensitive issues in Chinese society. These include abuse of the law in favour of vested interests at the expense of the weak, the rapid spread of the sex trade in a country whose Communist leadership prides itself on puritan values not to mention abuse of power. It is being seen as pitting the vulnerable, particularly women struggling to make a living, against the might of the state.

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It could be a landmark case. Usually it doesn't matter if it's self-defense or not. If an offical wants sex he should get it. If she refuses, she's in big trouble. If she stabs the guy, she's in deep shit. That's how China works. Rich and powerful get everything. So will public support pressure the courts into ruling fairly. We'll see.