Chinese Actor Gao Yunxiang Acquitted in Australian Rape Case

(Variety) Chinese actor Gao Yunxiang was this week acquitted in Australia of multiple rape and sexual assault charges. Producer, Wang Jing was similarly found not guilty on seven counts of sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.

The cases sprang from accusations made in March 2018 that the two men had gone to the Sydney hotel room of a woman with whom they had been partying, after completing filming of Chinese series “Love in Aryana.” There, they were alleged to have taken turns in assaulting her, with one of them raping her. The woman cannot be named for legal reasons.

A jury took one day to deliberate on the charges, and accepted the men’s assertions that the sex was consensual. The judge delivered the jury’s verdict on Thursday.

The cases were previously heard in December last year, but the jury reached a decision on only one case – Gao was found not guilty on one rape charge – and a retrial was ordered. Gao was held in custody for 22 months, until December, and remanded on bail since the December hearing.

Gao’s lawyer said that the prosecutors do not intend to appeal the case again, and that Gao is free to leave Australia and return to China. Gao’s wife Xuan Dong divorced him last year while Gao was in jail in Australia.

Gao, aka Gavin Gao, is best known for his performance in 2014 Qing Dynasty drama “The Palace: The Lost Daughter” and 2015-16 series “The Legend of Miyue”. He also appeared in Johnnie To’s 2012 film “Drug War.”

Source: Variety By Patrick Frater

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