Why Didn't the Rape Victim Ms. Liu Jizhi Show Up in Court?

On March 28th, 2006, 21 days after Zhuozhou City rape victim Ms. Liu Jizhi and her daughter were detained by Baoding police at the Xishan Hotel in Mancheng County, they were taken back to Zhuozhou. The daughter, Ms. Wei Meiling, was released. Ms. Liu Jizhi was taken to Nanma Brainwashing Centre by Zhuozhou City police. Ms. Liu was closely watched by four people during the day and three people during the night, all taking turns. Ms. Liu's health condition significantly worsened within thirteen days. She did not move or eat and drink for three days, and her blood pressure was almost zero, and infusions did not turn her condition around. Gao Xuefei, head of the Nanma Brainwashing Centre, called the Zhuozhou City 610 Office¹ for instructions. On April 13th, an ambulance took Ms. Liu to the Baoding Second Central Hospital (located in Zhuozhou). After emergency treatment, she was detained again by people from the Zhuozhou City Procuratorate, Court, Police station, 610 Office, Public Security Bureau Nos. 1-4 Teams, Taoyuan Police Station, Qingliangsi Police Station, and Shuangta Police Station. They were divided into three groups, with four to five people in each group. They guarded the room on the inside and outside, around the clock.

On May 5th, two people from the Baoding City Procuratorate, a man by the name of Yao Zhi, and a woman, questioned Ms. Liu. The woman asked questions and the man recorded the interview. Ms. Liu wept and told them what happened. The woman said, "We will definitely seek justice," and she took 100 yuan² from her pocket and handed it to Ms. Liu. Ms. Liu refused to take the money. They told Ms. Liu that the court would be held in ten days. Ms. Liu Jizhi asked, "Should I attend court?" The woman answered, "You don't need to attend. You are the victim and the government is filing the lawsuit for you. If you would like to get a lawyer we can help you to get one. If you don't hire a lawyer the government will get one for you."

On May 10th, two men from the Baoding City Intermediate People's Court delivered a subpoena and notified Ms. Liu to attend court at 9:00 a.m. on May 15th. After they left, Ms. Liu asked Chen Guiting of the Zhuozhou City 610 Office, "How should I get there if I want to go?" Chen said, "You don't have to worry about that. Our chief will arrange it."

On the evening of May 12th, Gao Xuefei was on duty. Gao asked Ms. Liu to get into his car, in the presence of Li Jianglan of the Law Enforcement Department of the Police Station. Gao said to Ms. Liu, "Don't attend court. What should we do if someone wants to kill or abduct you on your way there?" Ms. Liu said, "That's impossible." Gao said, "That is possible." Li Jianglan said, "It's the same whether you go or don't go. The government will take care of the case for you. Our country is fair." Ms. Liu asked, "Can they conduct the trial according to the written statement?" Li Jianglan said, "They won't change it. Don't worry."

On the evening of May 13th, Bai Jianjun, a policeman from the Zhuozhou City Shuangta Police Station, Wang Peng, a police officer from the Public Security Bureau No. 4 Team, and another policeman handcuffed Ms. Liu for the entire night. Bai Jianjun threatened her, saying, "You can't change anything!"

On the evening of May 14th, Chen Guiting was on duty. Chen asked Ms. Liu, "How will you get there?" Ms. Liu said, "How do I know? Didn't you say that your chief will arrange it? I have been waiting." Chen was quiet. Ms. Liu asked Zuo Zhen, who works at Zhuozhou City 610 Office, to call Gao Xuefei and ask. Gao said he was in Baoding and approaching home. A short time after, Ms. Liu asked Zuo to call Gao again. Gao said he was with the Zhuozhou City Governor. That night, Ms. Liu cleaned up, packed her things, and prepared to attend court.

On the morning of May 15th, Ms. Liu Jizhi got up at 5:00 a.m.. By 5:30 a.m. she had finished breakfast and was waiting for her ride. No one came until 8:07 a.m. Ms. Liu asked Zuo Zhen to call again and Zuo refused. Gao Xuefei, who was supposed to be on duty, did not show up. Ms. Liu realized it would be too late to go, so she said angrily: "I will not go!" Zuo Zhen immediately called officials. Within fifteen minutes, Zhang Shun of the Zhuozhou 610 Office arrived with Gao Xuefei and Chen Guiting. They brought with them paper, pencil and an ink pad. Zhang Shun asked Ms. Liu, "So you won't go?" Ms. Liu answered, "No." Then she asked, "Isn't it the same if I go or not to go?" Zhang Shun said, "It's the same. Don't worry." Chen Guiting told Ms. Liu, "Write a statement and say you don't want attend court." Ms. Liu said, "I don't know how to write." Chen wrote it and asked Ms. Liu to sign her name. Ms. Liu doesn't write her name well, so Chen wrote Ms. Liu's name, "Liu Jizhi," on another piece of paper and told Ms. Liu to copy it. Ms. Liu copied it and applied her fingerprint as asked. That evening, Gao Xuefei of the Zhuozhou 610 Office lied to Ms. Liu. He told her that when the court was opened, Han Yuzhi and her husband Liu Jian were missing. He said that they might have been "abducted by Falun Gong practitioners or the Chinese Communist Party." Ms. Liu believed him.

On May 17th, people from the Baoding City Intermediate People's Court delivered a subpoena to Ms. Liu. She didn't believe them and refused to sign. They deceived her and she signed.

After the trial was over, on May 22nd, three people from the Baoding City Intermediate People's Court sent the written judgement to Ms. Liu. Since Ms. Liu doesn't read, she asked them to read it to her. A tall man said, "We don't have time." Li San, a police officer from the Zhuozhou City Taoyuan Police Station said, "I will read it to you." Then Ms. Liu signed and the three people from Intermediate People's Court left with smiles on their faces.

Later, Li Jianglan, of the Law Enforcement Department of the Zhuozhou City Police Station, explained to Ms. Liu that He Xuejian [the policeman who raped Ms. Liu] was not sentenced for raping her, but for indecency instead, since there was no proof. Ms. Liu asked what indecency was. Li told her it's almost the same as rape and it is also a serious crime. Ms. Liu said, "That is not justice!"

On June 5th, when the verdict from the Hebei Provincial High Court was to be announced, Ms. Liu decided to attend. Gao Xuefei called the Zhuozhou 610 Office and a woman answered the phone. She said that no one responsible for the case was there. If Liu Jizhi insisted on going, she thought she needed to sign and say she wanted to go voluntarily. Gao Xuefei wrote the statement for Ms. Liu and Ms. Liu signed it. Wang Cunliang, head of Taoyuan Police Station and a police officer whose last name is Tian from the Public Security Bureau No. 2 Team also signed as witnesses. After this was done, Ms. Liu asked Wang Cunliang if it was necessary for her to go. Wang told her it was not necessary since the appeal time had expired. Then Ms. Liu gave up.

At 9:00 a.m. on June 8th, the Hebei Province High Court issued the final judgement at Baoding City Intermediate People's Court. Before 1:00 p.m. they delivered the verdict. Afterward, Ms. Liu was detained for seven days and finally released on June 15th. Well before she was finally released, her family members had asked for her release, which was denied.

Note

1. "The 610 office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.

2. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/10/8/139655.html