Only five years of jail time for Chinese billionaire guilty of sex crimes against underage girls

Chinese real estate tycoon Wáng Zhènhuá 王振华, former chairman of property developer Seazen Group, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of child molestation.

The verdict was made on June 16, following a two-day closed-door hearing that lasted for about 16 hours, according to a statement (in Chinese) issued by the Putuo District People’s Court in Shanghai. Meanwhile, Zhōu Yànfēn 周燕芬, a longtime associate of Wang’s and his procurer of underage girls, was given four years in jail under the same charge.

Under the Criminal Law of China, having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 14 is considered rape and a conviction can result in a prison sentence of three to 10 years, or a heavier punishment depending on the circumstances. But according to another article, whoever uses violence, coercion, or other means to molest a woman or a child is to be sentenced to no more than five years of fixed-term imprisonment.

Wang, 58, was detained last summer after a mother in Jiangsu Province reported to police that her friend Zhou brought her nine-year-old daughter to Shanghai and sent her to Wang’s hotel room for sexual assault. Later, an investigation conducted by Shanghai police revealed that Wang had sexual intercourse with the minor and caused genital injuries to her.

After the claims were made public, censors were quick to erase social media posts and discussions about the case. Meanwhile, the propaganda department in Shanghai issued orders to local media publications to stop reporting on the news.

But the authorities’ attempts to cover up Wang’s actions did nothing but fuel the public’s indignation, with a large number of people demanding to see Wang held accountable. Some legal experts also raised questions about the fact that Wang was arrested for child molestation rather than rape, which would allow him to evade harsher punishnment.

In a move to distance itself from Wang, Future Land, one of the major Chinese developers that Wang established less than three decades ago, renamed itself Seazen Group last year. After Wang’s arrest, his son Wáng Xiǎosōng 王晓松 was appointed chairman of the company’s board. However, judging from Seazen’s financial documents, Wang Zhenhua still controls more than 70% of the company. While waiting for his trial, Wang has not stopped making money. According to the Forbes China Rich List, Wang saw his fortune rise to $4.5 billion in 2019, from $4.1 billion in 2018.

The public’s dissatisfaction with Wang’s punishment has been overwhelming. Given that the initial police investigation clearly showed that Wang committed more serious sex crimes in addition to molestation, many people suspected that Wang used his money and influence to obtain leniency. “This is unacceptable! How in this world did he only receive a five-year sentence after ruining a child’s life?” a Weibo user wrote (in Chinese). Some also complained about the lack of transparency in the Chinese justice system, suspecting that the court in Shanghai had purposefully shrouded public access to vital information regarding Wang’s case. In a poll (in Chinese) carried out by Phoenix News, more than 90% of around 30,000 respondents said the outcome was frustrating and troubling.

The sentencing comes at a time of heightened attention to how the Chinese criminal justice system handles cases of sexual assault against minors — including a string of high-profile cases in which powerful men appeared to be treated leniently due to legal loopholes and the country’s notorious disinclination to punish sexual assault.

As many people pointed out, it’s been almost two months since police in Yantai, Shandong Province, launched an investigation into Bào Yùmíng 鲍毓明, a lawyer and former board member for the Chinese telecom firm ZTE, who was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting his foster daughter since she was 14. But as of now, there has been no official update regarding Bao’s case. “Bao probably breathed a sigh of relief after reading about Wang’s sentence. The worst outcome for him is just five years in jail,” a Weibo user wrote (in Chinese).