Mainland Student's Fight Over Rape Case Goes Viral

A graduate student has become a social media sensation on the mainland after attempting to sue police for dismissing her rape report, giving the country's fledgling #MeToo movement a new cause.

Renee Ren, 26, said her legal action was inspired by "photos of women's marches around the world".

In what is thought to be the first case of its kind by a rape victim, Ren has sued police over their "inaction" after she reported her assault.

The court that initially accepted her case dismissed it on a technicality last week, saying that as a member of the public she was not entitled to bring a criminal prosecution.

But the fact she was able to file at all was a significant victory in a country where citizens have few avenues to challenge authorities.

Ren filed an appeal on Friday, countering that her action should be considered a civil suit not a criminal one.

She says she is not seeking compensation, but wants the court to discipline officials at the Changjiang police station for the humiliation she suffered after reporting her assault.

Ren said in her lawsuit she was raped in a university dormitory garage last July by someone she knew.

Officers took photographs of her injuries but did not obtain surveillance video or make contact with her alleged attacker, Ren said.

At the time, a female officer admonished her, saying "not every sexual experience is good", she said.

With police refusing to investigate her case, she gave up – until the #MeToo movement ignited in the country earlier this year.

It was this public outpouring that prompted Ren to file her lawsuit – despite pressure from university administrators to drop the case.

"They called my parents and said to them I might not graduate or find a job," Ren said.

Ren's blog posts on the popular Weibo platform have been viewed over 20 million times, with comments supportive of a new public face for a movement that has largely been concentrated in university campuses in China.

Neither the university nor the police have responded to questions. (AFP)