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Night out ends in tears(附图)
http://www.sina.com.cn 2003/06/24 09:44  上海英文星报

  ALTHOUGH the assault occurred more than two weeks ago, Lian (not her real name) said she still has nightmares about it. "This is my shame, I won't forget it as long as I live," the 26-year-old Shanghai woman said.

  "Who can forget it if a woman's top clothing has been pulled off in public?"

  On May 31, Lian and her friend Gu (also not her real name) went to Windows Three on Maoming Nanlu. At about 5:00am she saw her ex-boyfriend, a European, in the bar and quarreled with him. Her ex-boyfriend left the bar with some friends.

  One of the friends, a man from Ecuador, tried to prevent her from pursuing the ex-boyfriend and walked in front of her as she headed towards the intersection of Maoming Nanlu and Yongjia Lu. Lian, who was very angry at the time, said she had just wanted an explanation from her ex-boyfriend.

  Suddenly, the Ecuadorian turned around and ripped Lian's T-shirt to the waist exposing her underwear and part of her body.

  "What's more, he smiled at me and looked at my body from top to waist," Lian said. "I was shocked and couldn't react at all." At that time, it was already daybreak and many passers-by saw the incident.

  Holding the ripped T-shirt together Lian and Gu caught a taxi but at Yongjia Lu near Ruijin Lu, they saw the Ecuadorian man again. They stopped the taxi and Lian accosted the Ecuadorian.

  He pulled her T-shirt apart again. When Lian protested the man pushed her to the ground.

  "I was pushed to the ground three times, and my friend who tried to help me also fell twice," she said.

  At Ruijin Hospital Lian was found to have suffered injuries to the back of her head and abrasions to her body.

  The police were called and the Ecuadorian, known as Roddy, was asked to compensate Lian for the medical treatment she had needed as a result of his assault which had cost 300 yuan.

  "But I don't think his apology is sincere, because he didn't confess his behaviour at all," she said. "His friend who accompanied him even asked me: 'What do you want, money?'

  "For several days, I couldn't sleep properly. I would always see people in dreams laughing at me and I was nude. I even didn't tell my parents because it is so shameful."

  On June 13, with the help of a lawyer, Zhu Mingzhao from Shanghai Shitong Lawyer Office, Lian began an action against the Ecuadorian in the Luwan District People's Court for her "humiliation".

  "As far as I know, this is the first case where a Chinese has taken a suit against an expatriate for humiliation in Shanghai," Zhu, who is representing Lian for free, said. "But we need witnesses."

  Up to now, only one witness, an overseas student studying at Tongji University, has come forward. He confirmed Lian's account in a statement.

  Another witness has promised to attend an interview with the lawyer later.

  To collect more proof, Zhu and Lian have gone five times to Maoming Nanlu at midnight. They have talked with storekeepers, taxi drivers, street cleaners and bar staff, anyone who may have seen the incident.

  Most have said denied seeing anything and in any case were unwilling to go to court as witnesses.

  One eyewitness Zhu found confirmed Lian's version of the assault and made a statement. But the following day he went to the police station and withdrew it.

  "We would have more confidence if we had several more witnesses," Zhu said. "But most Chinese are unwilling to do things that won't benefit themselves."

  Another problem is that potential witnesses may think that any woman who stays in a bar on Maoming Nanlu until the early hours of the morning won't be one of good reputation.

  Lian who is hoarse from her efforts to find witnesses said: "When I put up a notice on Maoming Nanlu asking for witnesses, some passers-by who didn't know me said: 'Such women must be prostitutes.' I felt so sad to hear such words spoken by my countrymen."

  Another thing worrying Lian and Zhu is that the Ecuadorian, who works in Shanghai, may not be in China any more. When Zhu called at his company, the man's workmates said he had gone back to Ecuador.

  "If it is true, even if we win the case we have no way to ensure he is taken into custody for 15 days in accordance with social safety regulations" Zhu said.




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