Legal loophole adds to family trauma in 'rape' case

Confusion over same-sex assault leads to lenient punishment

Zhengzhou - "I was abducted by someone and the pain in my heart will last a lifetime! It's so hard to talk about " wrote Yang Xiaolong (not his real name) on his Tencent QQ, a popular instant messaging platform in China.

The 15-year-old from Xinmi, Henan province, fell victim to a rare case of same-gender sexual assault on the night of June 8, when 29-year-old Li Mu, the suspect, allegedly dragged him into his car at knifepoint and "raped" him in a nearby mountain area. The boy was held captive for six hours, and was not released until 5 am the next morning.