Europe 1 with AFP 11:51 a.m., November 25, 2022

Kris Wu, a big star in China, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, including 11 years and six months for the rape of a Chinese student when she was 17 years old.

Former member of the successful group EXO, the Sino-Canadian singer had left the group to devote himself to a solo career.

He will be deported from China after serving his sentence.

The Sino-Canadian singer and actor Kris Wu, a huge star in China, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, in particular for rape, according to a judgment delivered on Friday, a case which had caused a scandal in the country.

The 32-year-old artist was sentenced to "11 years and six months' imprisonment for rape", according to the judgment of the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing, which added that he "was also sentenced to imprisonment for one year and 10 months for the crime of gathering persons with a view to committing adultery".

At the end of his sentence, he will be expelled from China, also indicates the judgment.

Rape of a minor

Canadian of Chinese origin, Kris Wu is a former member of the Sino-South Korean group EXO.

He left the group in 2014 to embark on a solo career as an actor, singer and model.

Last year, he was accused by a 19-year-old Chinese student of raping her during a date when she was 17.

>> READ ALSO -

 K-pop: one of the stars of the South Korean group BTS leaves for the army in a few days

Following the outcry triggered by this scandal, brands such as Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, L'Oréal and Porsche, of which he was the ambassador, suspended their partnership with the singer.

Subsequently, other victims testified online to accuse Mr. Wu's team of predatory behavior, including inviting them to drunken karaoke parties.

These accusations sparked the beginnings of a #Metoo movement in China, but it has since stagnated.

Fearing an uncontrolled mass movement, censors controlling the internet quickly blocked hashtags and keywords relating to cases of sexual harassment on social networks.