A former lawmaker in central China's Henan Province has been
sentenced to death for raping over 20 underage girls, who were
literally grabbed off the streets or in front of their school
gates, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The report says 61-year-old Wu Tianxi ordered three women,
including a former victim and a school dropout, to kidnap the
girls, who ranged in age from 12 to 16 years old, and take them by
taxi to his properties, where he raped them.
Wu, who owns a large food processing business, was reportedly
worried about his frail, aging body and declining wealth. Someone
told him that sexual intercourse with virgin girls would bring him
good health and fortune. Wu took the comment seriously, and began
hunting down 100 virgins.
The Southern Metropolis News reported that on a single
day in April last year, Wu kidnapped and raped five school
girls.
Wu was given the death sentence and fined 500,000 yuan. Wu was
also accused of fraud, illegal fundraising and land speculation,
and of involvement with criminal gangs, the report said.
His accomplices were sentenced to jail terms from 6 months to 20
years in length.
Wu became a delegate to the National People's Congress, China's
top legislature, in 1998 for successfully running a series of rural
businesses that turned him into a model farmer. He also served as
vice chairman of the Zhenping County Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body.
(CRI January 16, 2008)