Gang rape suspect gets new lawyers

The two new lawyers for a suspect involved in a gang rape case that has attracted nationwide attention said they would plea for innocence for their client, Beijing News reported on Thursday.

Li Tianyi(L) and his father Li Shuangjiang.[File photo]

Xue Zhenyuan, the former lawyer for the suspect, surnamed Li, quit last month but declined to give a specific reason.

Xu quit because the suspect’s mother asked him to release a statement saying Li was not involved in the rape, according to a source close to the case.

Li, the son of Li Shuangjiang, was accused of gang raping a girl with four other males at a hotel in Beijing in February and was detained days later.

The police refused to disclose details of the case, including the names of the suspects, saying four of them were minors.

Li Shuangjiang, who is the dean of the music department of the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Arts, is most known for his renditions of patriotic songs.

His son, however, has created controversy in recent years due to his unruly behavior.

The 17-year-old and another teenager attacked a couple who allegedly blocked their driveway near the entrance of a residential community in Beijing two years ago. He was later sent to a government correctional facility for one year.