Embattled Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu, 30, former member of K-pop boy band EXO, has been arrested in China following his detention on suspicion of rape.
On Aug. 16, the People's Procuratorate of Chaoyang District in Beijing posted on Weibo, China’s microblogging platform, and announced that it approved the arrest of criminal suspect Wu on suspicion of rape in accordance with the law.
Chinese media outlets including Global Times and China Daily reported that Kris Wu was arrested.
“The people's procuratorates in China are state organs for legal supervision. Their organization corresponds to that of the people's courts,” according to the website of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It added, “The people's procuratorates have the right to exercise procuratorial authority. They exercise procuratorial authority over cases seriously endangering state and public security, and infringing upon citizens' personal and democratic rights, and other important criminal cases; examine the cases scheduled for investigation by public security organs, and decide on whether a suspect should be arrested or not, and whether a case should be prosecuted or exempt from prosecution; institute and support public prosecution in criminal cases; and oversee activities in public security organs, people's courts, prisons, lockups and reform-through-labor institutions.”
Kris Wu’s arrest was ordered after he was detained by Beijing police’s Chaoyang district last July 31 on allegations of rape.
“According to the online report that ‘Wu Yifan repeatedly deceived young women to have sex’ and other related circumstances, Wu (male, 30 years old, Canadian national) is suspected of rape after police investigation, and has been detained by Public Security Bureau at Chaoyang district in accordance with the law, and the investigation work is being further carried out,” the police posted on Weibo, according to Global Times.
The pop star’s woes started when Chinese influencer Du Meizhu accused him of luring girls including underage into sex.
The Bejing police’s Chaoyang district said on July 22 that at 10 p.m. on Dec. 5, 2020, Feng, who was Kris Wu’s acting manager at the time, invited Du Meizhu, 18, to his home supposedly for an audition for a female lead in a music video.
Kris Wu attended the party where more than 10 people played board games and drank together. By 7 a.m. the next day, the attendees left one after another. After drinking, Du Meizhu stayed at Wu’s house and they had sex. Du Meizhu left his home and they added each other on the WeChat app.
A report on the Chinese news outlet Sina Entertainment quoted a lawyer who said that Kris Wu’s arrest meant that the evidence against him is relatively solid and he may not be released on bail pending trial.
It added that based on China’s criminal procedure law, the public security agency will continue the investigation, which will take up to two months in general but it can be extended if the circumstances are complicated.
The public security agency then transfers the case to the People’s Procuratorate for review and prosecution.
A lawyer for the Beijing Lanpeng Law Firm earlier told Global Times that if Kris Wu is convicted of rape, he may be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison. And after serving his sentence, he will be deported back to Canada.
Under Article 236 of China’s Criminal Law, “Whoever, by violence, coercion or other means, rapes a woman is to be sentenced to not less than three years and not more than 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment. Whoever has sexual relations with a girl under the age of 14 is to be deemed to have committed rape and is to be given a heavier punishment.”
The law added that “whoever rapes a woman or has sexual relations with a girl involving one of the following circumstances is to be sentenced to not less than 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment, life imprisonment, or death:
“1. rape a woman or have sexual relations with a girl and when the circumstances are odious;
“2. rape several women or have sexual relations with several girls;
“3. rape a woman in a public place and in the public;
“4. rape a woman in turn with another or more persons;
“5. cause the victim serious injury, death, or other serious consequences.”