A Chinese tennis star who publicly accused a top former Politburo official of forcing her to have sex has vanished — as international sports officials demanded her accusations be fully investigated.
Peng Shuai, a onetime No. 1-ranked doubles player, has not been seen or heard from in about 10 days — or a few days after she wrote a lengthy social-media post alleging sex assault by an elderly married former vice premier of China.
Supporters who are worried about the 35-year-old player’s safety have rallied online using the Twitter hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
“Yes, these accusations are very disturbing,” 18-time Grand Slam winner Chris Evert tweeted Sunday. “I’ve known Peng since she was 14; we should all be concerned; this is serious; where is she? Is she safe? Any information would be appreciated.”
French tennis player Nicolas Mahut added, “The fact that Peng Shuai is missing is not only the [World Tennis Association]’s problem.
“We are all concerned,’’ he wrote.
WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in a statement released Sunday that “Peng Shuai, and all women, deserve to be heard, not censored. “Her accusation about the conduct of a former Chinese leader involving a sexual assault must be treated with the utmost seriousness. In all societies, the behavior she alleges that took place needs to be investigated, not condoned or ignored,’’ he said.
“We commend Peng Shuai for her remarkable courage and strength in coming forward,’’ Simon added. “Women around the world are finding their voices so injustices can be corrected.
“We expect this issue to be handled properly, meaning the allegations must be investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship.”
The release of the statement followed widespread criticism of the WTA’s silence up till that time on Peng’s allegations.
Peng has claimed that Zhang Gaoli — a retired member of China’s ruling Communist Party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee — and his wife arranged to play tennis in Beijing with her about three years ago.
China’s former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli was accused of sexual assault by Peng Shuai.POOL/AFP via Getty Images
She said that afterward, he brought her into a room at the couple’s home and assaulted her.
“I was so frightened that afternoon, never thinking that this thing could happen,” her post said.
She added that the pair had sex once seven years ago and that she had developed feelings for Zhang at the time.Peng’s account of her alleged sex assault was removed about a half-hour after it was posted to her Chinese Wiebo account Nov. 2.
The accusation by Peng — who won 23 tour-level doubles titles, including Grand Slams at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014 — was the first against a prominent...
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1 comment:
Look to watch China erase every last record of her.
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