Tenor's son appeals rape verdict

BEIJING -- A Beijing court announced on Friday that it will hear the appeal of two defendants, including the teenage son of a renowned Chinese tenor, who were sentenced to jail for rape late last month.

Tenor Li Shuangjiang's son and a man surnamed Wang submitted an appeal to the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court after they received their sentences in the first trial at Beijing Haidian District People's Court on Sept 26.

The Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court has decided to hear the case after an examination.

The younger Li and four other men were detained on Feb 21 after a woman surnamed Yang reported to police that she had been taken to a hotel and gang raped after drinking with them in a bar on Feb 17.

According to the court in the first trial, Li and four other defendants took Yang to a hotel room by force, beat her up and gang raped her early on the morning of Feb 17. Li and another defendant surnamed Wei gave Yang 2,000 yuan ($326.8) afterwards.

Yang suffered minor injuries, according to judicial authorities.

The court held two pretrial meetings on July 22 and August 20, in which lawyers for the five suspects and the victim disagreed on whether it was a gang rape or prostitution case.

The younger Li was sentenced to ten years in prison, while Wang was sentenced to 12 years in jail for rape.

Three other defendants were given prison terms ranging from 3 to 4 years.