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A harrowing case of kidnapping and sexual assault that spanned over a decade has finally reached its conclusion in Hunan Province. The Taoyuan County People's Court has sentenced a man named Zhong Peng to 15 years in prison for raping and imprisoning a female university graduate for five years.
The victim, Zhang Ling, now 37, was finally able to share her traumatic experience with the police. In 2010, fresh out of university, she was lured to the perpetrator's home where she was confined in a storage room for five years. During her captivity, she was repeatedly raped and eventually gave birth to a daughter.
What makes the case particularly disturbing is that Zhong Peng was a married man living with his wife, adult daughter, and son-in-law during this period. Instead of helping the victim, his family members reportedly participated in verbally abusing the imprisoned woman.
After five years of captivity, when the situation risked exposure, Zhong transferred Zhang to an elderly woman's home. In an unexpected turn of events that may indicate severe psychological trauma, Zhang ended up marrying the elderly woman's son and had another child with him, rather than escaping or reporting her original captor to the authorities.
The case has sparked outrage among Chinese netizens, particularly regarding the initial handling by law enforcement. During the first attempt to prosecute Zhong, authorities only charged him with illegal detention and dismissed the case, citing the statute of limitations. It wasn't until a second investigation that rape charges were finally brought forward, leading to the current conviction.
Legal experts and social media users have expressed shock at the 14-year gap between the crime and the final verdict. Many are questioning how such a serious case could have slipped through the cracks of the justice system for so long, especially given the involvement of multiple family members who were aware of the situation.
