Young girl allegedly raped during Chinese New Year

According to this article (in Chinese) published in the Xinmin Evening News paper this evening, a good time was not had by all on Chinese New Year. Disturbing in many ways:

A 13-year-old girl, named Xiao Tao (alias) was allegedly raped by her classmate’s father on the eve of Chinese New Year. Xiao Tao and her divorced single father were initially from Nantong, a small city not far away from Shanghai ... On the eve of the new year, Xiao Tao went out to play with her friends and didn’t go back home until 10 pm which annoyed her father very much, as her father was waiting for her to have the important reunion dinner. Her father beat her with his chopsticks, and afterwards, Xiao Tao secretly ran away from home. Xiao Tao had done something like that in the past, so her father didn't worry about it. He continued drinking, and got completely drunk.

From the first day to the third day of the Chinese New Year, Xiao Tao didn't return home, and her father didn’t even go out to look for her. On the fourth day, Xiao Tao came back with scratch marks on her chin and neck as well as a bruise on the right half of her face. Under repetitive questioning by her father, she eventually told her father what happened.

After she left home, Xiao Tao went to the home of one of her classmates. Her classmate’s parents are from outside Shanghai and also divorced, but the family still lives together. Xiao Tao’s classmate told her that she could sleep in the loft, while the classmate and her mother slept downstairs. Xiao Tao went upstairs to sleep in the bed, meanwhile her classmate’s parents were not back home. At midnight, Xiao Tao’s classmate’s father came back to see a girl sleeping in his bed, and he raped her. Xiao Tao resisted the man, but ended up being beaten and raped twice. On the next day, she didn’t dare to sleep over in this classmate’s home but also didn't want to go back home. Instead, she slept over at another classmate’s home for a couple of days.

On the day she told her father the story, at the beginning, her father didn't know what to do. He got drunk again and didn’t sober up enough to report his daughter’s rape to the police until the following morning, the fifth day of the Chinese New Year.

At present, the police are investigating the crime. Xiao Tao was taken by the police to the hospital to have a checkup. The suspect is currently being interrogated, and the police will decide whether they have enough evidence to press charges.