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

Nearly four months after prosecutors in Minnesota determined towards submitting criminal charges against JD.Com founder Richard Liu, the Chinese billionaire is dealing with a civil lawsuit filed utilizing the student who accused him of rape in the closing year.

The plaintiff, Jingyao Liu, who at the time of the incident was a 21-yr-vintage undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in opposition to Richard Liu and the e-trade massive 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 costs in overdue December in opposition to Richard Liu because of inadequate evidence, concluding a 3-month overview of the enormously watched case. Prosecutors stated they had concerns in proving the case “beyond an affordable doubt.”

Prosecutors have recently stated they are open to revisiting their December selection not to price 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 regulation companies representing the plaintiff.

In Chinese, Richard Liu, 45, additionally known as Liu Qiangdong, became arrested in Minneapolis on Aug. 31 after being accused of rape following a boozy dinner at some point of a university software 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 research, Richard Liu allegedly tried to intimidate her in a change recorded on the officials’ frame cameras, main the plaintiff “to fear not only for her safety but also for the protection of her family. In China.”

Richard Liu, JD.Com, and their legal professionals have denied any wrongdoing. “We have not but reviewed the grievance and aren’t going to touch upon pending litigation,” Richard Liu’s legal professional Jill Brisbois said in a Tuesday declaration. “But based totally on the Hennepin County Attorney’s declination to charge a case in opposition to our purchaser and our belief in his innocence, we experience strongly that this healthy is without merit and could vigorously guard towards it.”

Peter Walsh, a legal professional for JD.Com, stated the organization isn’t always in a role 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 count.

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