Trial Continues for Gavin Gao; Victim Provides Video Testimony

After failing to show up in court on the first day of trial in Chinese actor Gavin Gao’s (高雲翔) sexual assault case, the victim has been testifying through video in Monday and Tuesday’s trial hearing. Gavin’s lawyer has attacked the reliability of her testimony, while the victim cried that she was lured into the hotel room and then sexually assaulted by Gavin and his producer friend Wang Jing (王晶).

Although she was not physically in the courtroom, the victim, a 37-year-old Chinese-Australian woman, testified through video call. The victim said that the cast and crew were at a local KTV and she had very little interaction with Gavin at first. She claimed that Gavin’s friend Wang Jing (王晶) had attempted to kiss her, so she hid in the restroom. The victim also said she only had interaction with Gavin on the set and she thought he seemed like a polite gentleman.

Citing surveillance footage inside the KTV room, Gavin’s lawyer argued that the victim was lying and that the jury panel should question her trustworthiness. Gavin’s lawyer said the victim told a lot of people about the incident afterwards and her story didn’t match what the CCTV footage showed. The lawyer claimed that what had happened inside the hotel that night occurred with the victim’s full consent.