A Chinese court rejected an appeal in a landmark sexual harassment case on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the country's fledgling #MeToo movement. Zhou Xiaoxuan stepped forward in 2018 to accuse popular state TV host Zhu Jun of forcibly kissing and groping her during her 2014 internship at the broadcaster. Her case inspired many others…
Her case inspired many others to share their experiences of sexual assault publicly and sparked a social media storm. Police cordoned off long stretches of pavement outside the court ahead of Zhou arrival in the afternoon, with officers logging the details of passers-by.Zhou, 29, told AFP before returning to court that her legal team would focus on getting access to more evidence, such as police transcripts of interviews with her parents after she reported the incident — which were not included in the earlier trial — and surveillance footage.
“Four years have passed, and the most important thing is that we have raised this question: When a woman encounters sexual harassment in a closed space, is her pain worth paying attention to?” Zhou said to supporters.She added that it was meaningful that she could give her statement before the court, thanking supporters.Zhou, also known by the pseudonym Xianzi, originally sued for a public apology from Zhu and 50,000 yuan in damages.
But her lawyers later asked for it to be considered under a new sexual harassment law that was passed in 2020.