E-Commerce Billionaire Richard Liu Sued by way of Rape Accuser

Nearly four months after prosecutors in Minnesota decided against submitting criminal charges against JD.com founder Richard Liu, the Chinese billionaire is dealing with a civil lawsuit filed by the student who accused him of rape in the previous year.

The plaintiff, Jingyao Liu, who at the time of the incident was a 21-year-old undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday in Hennepin County, Minnesota, against Richard Liu and the e-commerce giant JD.com Inc. The match, classified as a non-public harm case, is in search of tremendous compensatory damages in addition to punitive damages.

Minnesota prosecutors stated that they decided not to press legal rape charges in December against Richard Liu because of inadequate evidence, concluding a 3-month review of the enormously watched case. Prosecutors stated they had concerns about proving the case “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Prosecutors have recently stated they are open to revisiting their December decision not to prosecute Richard Liu if they are furnished with “compelling extra facts,” in line with a statement Caixin acquired from Florin Roebig P.A., one of the law firms representing the plaintiff.

In Chinese, Richard Liu, 45, additionally known as Liu Qiangdong, was arrested in Minneapolis on Aug. 31 after being accused of rape following a boozy dinner at a university event he was attending. He was released the next day without bail and was allowed to return to China.

According to a criticism filed Tuesday in a Hennepin County courtroom, Jingyao Liu accused Richard Liu of raping her in her rental after a business networking dinner with more than a dozen male Chinese executives, Bloomberg mentioned. After police arrived at the condo to investigate, Richard Liu allegedly tried to intimidate her in a chase recorded on the officials’ frame cameras, causing the plaintiff to fear not only for her safety but also for the protection of her family. In China.”

Richard Liu, JJD.com, and their legal professionals have denied any wrongdoing. “We have not reviewed the grievance and aren’t going to touch upon pending litigation,” Richard Liu’s legal representative, Jill Brisboi, said in a Tuesday declaration. “But based totally on the Hennepin County Attorney’s declination to charge a case against our purchaser and our belief in his innocence, we strongly believe that this claim is without merit and could vigorously defend against it.”

Peter Walsh, a legal professional for JD.com, stated the organization isn’t always in a position to comment in the intervening time but “will vigorously guard these meritless claims against the enterprise.”

Attorneys for Jingyao Liu, who had remained nameless till the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, said they would continue searching for justice inside the court.

Haunted by awful news, including the rape allegation against Richard Liu, JD.com’s Nasdaq-listed shares took a nosedive in the closing year, losing as much as 60% in their price from a January high. The Chinese tech giant’s inventory fee rebounded in December after prosecutors announced they would no longer report crooked expenses.