The Chinese media is being criticized for their recent reports on a sexual assault case involving a girl known as Lanlan Tang (her real name has been hidden in order to protect her identity). The Chinese people think that the media are conspiring with the girl’s assaulter and misguiding public opinion.

In 2008, Tang, 14, wrote the police a letter claiming she had been sexually assaulted by her father, grandfather, uncle, teachers, and villagers for over seven years. 16 people were arrested, and by 2011, 11 were sentenced, including her parents, for forced prostitution and rape of a child.

Recently, many Chinese news outlets have published articles about this sexual assault case that happened ten years ago. Tang`s mother has been released from prison and, the media reports, is looking to reverse the previous verdict indicting her.

These articles not only express the eagerness of the criminals to find Tang, but also put up personal information, like her real name, birth date, and education background. As Tang is currently in hiding, this information could potentially threaten her life.

People believe that the press are building a biased image of the innocence of Tang’s assaulters and distorting the truth with headlines that blame the victim for the case.

The mainstream media also covered several conflicts in the testimonies of both the victim and the assaulters and claim that the previous investigation was only based on the testimony of the victim, which may give the case a chance to be reheard.

Now, the Chinese public are waiting for the official statement from the government`s law department while more related materials and reports about the case are being released.