Official sacked for attack on girl

By Lydia Chen  |   2008-11-4  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE Ministry of Transport has sacked a government official in southern China's Shenzhen City after he held an 11-year-old girl around the neck in an alleged bid to sexually molest her at a restaurant.

Party Secretary of Shenzhen Maritime Affairs Bureau in Guangdong Province, Lin Jiaxiang's behavior was "out of control" and his words and actions made an "extremely negative" impact on society, the Party Committee of the ministry announced late yesterday.

The case caused heated discussion among many online communities after a surveillance video clip from the restaurant was uploaded. The video showed the 11-year-old girl helping 58-year-old Lin as he asked her to guide him to the men's room in the lobby of Xinmeiyuan Restaurant in Shenzhen around 8:40pm last Wednesday.

But she was seen running away about one minute after the two disappeared from the screen.

The girl claimed she was attacked at the door of the men's room, but managed to flee.

The tape then showed Lin clashing with the girl's parents, who demanded an explanation after their daughter ran back to their table crying.

Lin admitted he grabbed the girl by the neck and said he would pay if the family gave a price.

He was also seen yelling that he was sent by the Ministry of Transport and was an official "with the same level with the city mayor."

Police from the city's Nanshan District confirmed that they summoned Lin for questioning on Saturday night, according to the Guangzhou-based Nanfang Daily newspaper.

Police questioned Lin for more than five hours, during which time Lin claimed that he was drunk, the newspaper said.

But the girl's father rebutted the explanation and said Lin did not seem affected by alcohol when his daughter led Lin to the men's room.

The father was also questioned by police, who said the two sides had "very different versions" of what had happened.