Chinese TV anchor Qian Feng accused of rape in country’s latest sexual assault scandal

A well-known television anchor has become the latest figure in China to be accused of rape amid several explosive sexual assault scandals over the past month.

Qian Feng, who has hosted several hit shows for Hunan Satellite TV, has been suspended after a woman surnamed Xiao alleged online that he raped her in his home in Shanghai two years ago.

The woman called the police after the incident, but she claims the police refused to investigate because they said there was insufficient evidence, according to Xiao’s Weibo post and a response from Shanghai police on Tuesday (Aug 24).

Xiao said she decided to pressure the police for another probe on social media after consulting a lawyer.

The case has rocked China which is still reeling after superstar Kris Wu was arrested for rape, while a manager of the Alibaba Group is under investigation after rape allegations surfaced earlier this month.

It is also the second most high-profile #MeToo case in China’s TV industry since the landmark case of state television star Zhu Jun in 2018.

Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.

Qian’s employer, Hunan Satellite TV, issued a statement overnight saying he would be suspended until an official investigation is completed.

Xiao, who also works in the TV industry, had been internet friends with Qian for months before meeting for the first time on Valentine’s Day in 2019 with a few other friends of his in Shanghai, she said.

They had dinner and drinks then went to karaoke before Qian took her to his home and allegedly raped her, she alleged in her Weibo post, attaching several video clips and screenshots of their online conversation before and after the alleged incident.

“He confessed in front of me in the interrogation room that he raped me, which had been recorded by the police,” she said and demanded an explanation from police about why they refused to file a case given the evidence.

Shanghai police said in a statement overnight that it launched an investigation after Xiao called the police in 2019.

It notified her of their decision not to file the case a month later, as there was not enough evidence to support her allegation, the statement claimed.

Xiao didn’t apply for reconsideration within the following seven days, as she was entitled to if she objected to the decision, the statement said.

“If Xiao has new evidence now, she can provide it to the police. A probe can be relaunched according to the law,” it said.

More victims of sexual misconduct and assault have come forward on social media in recent years as public awareness of the issue improved after a global #MeToo movement spread to China in 2018.

Like both alleged victims in the cases of singer Wu and the Alibaba manager, Xiao has won tremendous support online.

The case has remained one of the most-searched topics on Weibo since she made the allegation on Tuesday afternoon.