Bing Shuai: Doubts about ‘all is well’ email from ‘missing’ Chinese tennis player alleging sexual assault | world News

[ad_1]

The women’s tennis chief said an email published by Chinese state media claiming to be from Peng Shuai “raised my concerns about her safety and whereabouts”.

The 35-year-old – the former Wimbledon doubles champion – wrote a social media post this month accusing a former senior government official of forcing her to have sex after playing tennis at his home.

Stars like Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic are among many who are increasingly concerned about her whereabouts and her original Weibo post has been taken down.

CGTN, the international arm of the government-controlled state broadcaster CCTV, released an email purportedly from Bing, but many have raised doubts about its authenticity.

She says the sexual assault claim is “incorrect” and adds, “I’m not missing out, I’m not safe. I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine.”

It “only worries me about her safety and whereabouts,” said Steve Simon, president of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

“I find it hard to believe that Beng Shuai actually wrote the email we received, or believe what is attributed to her,” he said in a statement.

“Peng Shuai showed incredible courage in describing allegations of sexual assault against a former senior Chinese government official.

“The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable evidence of her integrity. I have tried over and over to reach her through various means of communication, but to no avail.”

Mr Simon said Ping’s allegation of sexual assault should be investigated “with complete transparency” and she should be allowed to speak “without coercion or intimidation”.

Social media users also expressed skepticism about the email and noted that a cursor could be seen in the text, indicating that it was a screenshot.

Bing is a former ranked women’s doubles player who won the Wimbledon doubles title in 2013, the doubles title at the 2014 French Open, and reached the singles semi-finals at the 2014 US Open.

Photo: Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su Wei of Taiwan win the doubles title at Wimbledon 2013

Her job alleged that Zhang Gaoli, a former deputy prime minister and a member of the Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo, forced her to have sex despite repeated refusals after a tennis tour three years ago.

She said Zhang’s wife was guarding the door during the accident.

Zhang Gaoli did not respond to her allegations.

The fully state-controlled media in China has suppressed all reporting on the case in the country.

When Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian was asked during a daily briefing earlier this week about Peng’s allegations, he said, “I have not heard of the issue, and it is not a diplomatic issue.”

[ad_2]