Official accused of rape faces new trial in Australia

By Wang Yiqiong Source:Global Times Published: 2014-2-6 23:43:02

A Chinese official accused of raping a student tour guide in Australia was arrested again after he was acquitted by a local court on Monday, and will face a trial at a higher-level court.

Song Jinsong, 43, is the deputy head of Guangdong provincial urban planning institute. He was charged with raping a university student tour guide assigned to his group about five months ago, and had been on bail since August, Australian newspaper The Age reported.

On Monday, Song was acquitted by the local court due to a lack of evidence. The Melbourne Magistrates Court said that the evidence was not sufficient to establish that "Song Jinsong was aware the woman was not consenting to sexual activity or may not have been consenting," The Age reported.

Victoria's director of Public Prosecutions has exercised his power to directly present Song to Victoria's County Court.

Song was rearrested on Tuesday and had his passport seized after magistrate Catherine Lamble ordered it returned. He was given bail to appear on Wednesday by a County Court judge, The Age reported.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Louisa Dipietrantonio agreed to Song's bail, with conditions that included reporting to police, not leaving Victoria and surrendering his passport.

Song will face a new trial within two weeks.

According to the court hearing on Monday, Song and the tour guide, a 33-year-old university student, were very drunk after a dinner at a restaurant at Melbourne's Crown casino.

The woman's level of intoxication was described as "legless" and she allegedly "flirted" with him, The Age reported.

She claimed Song assaulted her in his room after being taken there by a woman from Song's delegation.

China's Nandu Daily reported that the Guangdong urban planning institute said that Song, its deputy head, was on a private visit to Australia in August, and that it only learned about his case after reading the story in foreign media.

Agencies contributed to this story



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