Chinese man accused of adultery clears his name after 50 years
After his release in 1965, Wang Jingzhi of Jiangsu began several attempts to appeal his case after he was jailed for fathering a son with a soldier's wife. His luck finally changed last month when a court ruled a case of mistaken identity.
Wang Jingzhi spent more than half a century trying to clear his name for a crime he did not commit. The 80-year-old finally succeeded last month.
After his release, Wang embarked on a 50-year legal crusade to clear his name - a daunting task in China.
His legal battle ended in February after the Yancheng City Intermediate People’s Court ruled that the conviction be thrown out because of reasonable doubts: an investigation had discovered a possible identity mix-up and false accusations.
(Our father) couldn’t hold his head up in front of his more successful brother and sister
Wang, then 27, was like many people at the time a member of the Communist Party. He was accused of adultery and fathering a child with a soldier's wife. The Binhai County People’s Court said Wang had an “unhealthy mind” and sentenced him to two years in prison.
The woman involved, identified in the article by an alias, “Zhao Yanfang”, gave birth to a son. While in prison, Wang was stripped of his party membership and government job.