China court drops sexual assault charge against former Alibaba employee

A court in China has dropped a case against a former Alibaba manager who was accused by a female colleague of sexual assault.

The district court in north-eastern Shandong province said the “forcible indecency” committed by the man, identified as Wang, was not a crime.

The former manager, whose last name is Wang, was detained in August after the women accused him of sexual assault while they were on a business trip to the northern Chinese city of Jinan.

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Police said the investigation was closed but added that Wang will remain under detention for 15 days “as punishment”.

On Weibo, Wang's wife thanked his team of lawyers in a post on Tuesday. She previously accused the female employee of framing her husband for sexual misconduct.

In an 8,000-word letter, the woman had claimed that the manager raped her in a hotel room while she was unconscious after a “drunken night.” She said she woke up the next morning naked in her bed in her hotel room.

According to a letter sent to employees by Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang, Wang admitted to “intimate acts” with an inebriated female employee, adding that he will “never be rehired.”

Her allegations were widely shared on Chinese social media, drawing widespread criticism online, with many lamenting the lack of protection for women in sexual assault cases.

Facing severe backlash, Alibaba fired Wang, while the two executives who failed to act on the allegation also resigned.

Later, the company issued a statement, saying, “Alibaba Group has a zero-tolerance policy against sexual misconduct, and ensuring a safe workplace for all our employees is Alibaba’s top priority.”

(With inputs from agencies)