Beijing (AFP)
Alibaba, an iconic digital company in China, was under fire from criticism in its country on Monday, after the testimony of an employee accusing her superior of having raped her during a heavy business trip.
The case is causing a stir in China as sexual assault has received special attention in society in recent months, in the wake of the #Metoo movement against harassment.
Several scandals involving personalities have also erupted in recent weeks.
Over the weekend, an Alibaba employee publicly accused her manager and a customer of sexually assaulting her while on a business trip.
His post, initially published internally for Alibaba employees, leaked on social media and sparked outrage in China.
The subject exceeded 800 million views on the Weibo platform on Monday and captivated the country's media.
In a letter sent Monday to his employees and consulted by AFP, Alibaba boss Daniel Zhang announced the dismissal of the offending executive.
"It is the police who will determine if he has committed rape or other indecency against the law," said the number one of the group, which succeeded the charismatic Jack Ma in 2019.
"This case is a shame for [all of us]", criticizes the boss of Alibaba, also denouncing a "horrible culture of the forced consumption of alcohol".
This practice, widespread in China in the professional context to facilitate business, is however the subject of many criticisms.
Following this scandal, two Alibaba executives, including a human resources manager, tendered their resignations.
If the #MeToo movement remains modest in China, it has contributed to greater freedom of speech for women victims of violence.
Earlier this month, Chinese-born Canadian pop singer and actor Kris Wu, immensely popular in China, was arrested on charges of raping a minor.
These accusations had sparked a media storm.
And big luxury brands have since broken the contracts they had made with the star.
© 2021 AFP