Woman's appeal rejected in landmark #MeToo case in China: "I worry that other victims fear standing up for their rights"
A Chinese court rejected an appeal Wednesday from a woman seeking an apology and damages in a landmark case from the country's short-lived #MeToo movement.
The court in Beijing ruled after a closed-door hearing that evidence submitted by Zhou Xiaoxuan was insufficient to prove sexual harassment, upholding the initial judgment last September.
Zhou, a former intern at state broadcaster China Central Television, had accused CCTV host Zhu Jun of groping and forcibly kissing her in 2014. She reported the case to police in 2014 and went public about it in 2018, when other women began speaking out.
After flourishing briefly, the #MeToo movement was largely shut down. Activists found their online posts censored and faced pressure from authorities when trying to hold protests.
Police cordoned off the sidewalk outside the court building on Wednesday, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Reporters from foreign media outlets including AFP were dragged away by police while filming the scene.
"The process for my case has truly been too difficult," Zhou told AFP.
"I worry that other victims fear standing up for their rights after seeing what I've experienced."
But she added that with her case, "perhaps the next victim that walks into court can receive more trust".
Zhou, 29, told AFP before returning to court that her legal team would focus on getting access to more evidence, such as police transcripts of interviews with her parents after she reported the incident -- which were not included in the earlier trial -- and surveillance footage.
Zhou brought the suit against Zhu to counter a suit he had lodged against her. She sought a public apology and 50,000 yuan ($7,600) in damages. Zhu has denied the allegations.
In a video she posted online a day ahead of Wednesday's hearing, Zhou said she has no regrets that she pursued her case.
"I really hope that people don't have to suffer in the future," she said. "I hope things will be easier for the next victim who enters legal procedures."
AFP contributed to this report.