Celebrity's son stands second trial for alleged gang rape

A court in Beijing on Tuesday heard the appeal of two defendants, including a son of a well-recognized uniformed tenor, who were given prison terms for gang rape.

The 17-year-old son to the 74-year-old singer Li Shuangjiang and the other juvenile offender surnamed Wang stood the second trial in Beijing's No.1 Intermediate People's Court. Defense lawyers of the both insisted on the advocacy of innocence, the court said.

The younger Li and Wang are among five men who allegedly gang-raped a woman in a Beijing hotel on Feb. 7, which has sparked outcry and heated controversy among public.

The singer Li taught at the Academy of Arts affiliated to the Chinese armed forces. The singer's wife also sings.

Li was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Wang was given 12-year imprisonment by the Beijing Haidian District Court on Sept. 26 on charges of gang rape.

Li lodged an appeal through his lawyer on Oct. 10 to Beijing's No.1 Intermediate People's Court.

The case is heard in private session. It will be decided on at a later date, the court said.