[ad_1]
A University of Minnesota student accused Richard Liu, the billionaire founder of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, of raping a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Minneapolis, four months after prosecutors had decided not to engage criminal proceedings.
Mr. Liu's lawyer, Jill Brisbois, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which also refers to JD.com as the defendant. She has repeatedly said that Mr. Liu, whose Chinese name is Liu Qiangdong, is innocent.
The lawsuit, filed in the Minnesota state court in Hennepin County, claims more than $ 50,000 in damages. The student, Liu Jiangyao, is identified in the complaint as an undergraduate student who lives in Minneapolis.
In the lawsuit, she accused Mr. Liu of being forcibly forced into his apartment on August 30 while attending classes at the university.
He was later arrested, but released within hours and allowed to return to China. On December 21, the county attorney's office declared that it had not found enough evidence to accuse him of sexual assault.
Ms. Liu stated in her complaint that the experience had resulted in her withdrawing from all classes in the fall and seeking professional advice.
Chinese social media users were obsessed with the case. Mr. Liu is a celebrity in Asia, a magnate with a well-known personal history of modest beginnings, hard work and enormous wealth. He is married to Zhang Zetian, a well-known social media figure called Sister Milk Tea.
JD.com shares have struggled over the past year under pressure from concerns over Liu's ability to lead the company and the instability of the Chinese economy.
Since the county attorney decided not to prosecute, Liu has become public again, most recently in a debate about overtime work in China.
[ad_2]
Source link