On Wednesday, the Datong Intermediate People's Court upheld a three-year prison sentence for a man who raped his fiancee. The chief judge confirmed the conviction was supported by a complete and credible evidence chain, as public scrutiny of the case grows.

As discovered during the initial trial held by the Yanggao County People's Court in December 2023, the man, surnamed Xi, met the victim through a matchmaking agency on Jan 30, 2023. They became engaged just months later, on May 1.

The assault took place on the evening of May 2, following their engagement celebration, when he ignored the victim's resistance and forced intercourse at a residence in Yanggao. The victim reported the incident later that night. He was placed under criminal detention on May 5 after a police investigation.

During the second-instance trial held on March 25, the court upheld that Xi's action of forcibly engaging in sexual intercourse against the victim's will constituted the crime of rape.

According to the chief judge of the Datong court, the facts uncovered in the initial trial were clear, the provided evidence was reliable and sufficient, the conviction was accurate and the legal trial procedures were sound.

The court also dismissed online claims that the victim's family used the report to extort money, stating there was no evidence of coercion or financial demands linked to the case.