Chinese woman says malicious gossip forced her out of job
- The Hangzhou resident says she is suffering depression and is ‘socially dead’ because of the claims
- She is now suing two neighbours for libel over claims she had an extramarital affair
A Chinese woman has taken her neighbours to court for spreading malicious gossip about her, saying that she lost her job and is suffering from depression after they claimed she was having an extramarital affair.
The plaintiff, a 28-year-old Hangzhou woman surnamed Gu, said the rumours have left her “socially dead” and she is having difficulty in finding a new job, state broadcaster CCTV reports.
She is suing two neighbours named Lang and He for libel claiming that they shot a brief video of her collecting a package at a delivery station and faked chat records to claim that she had seduced a courier.
Gu says she does not know either man and was diagnosed with depression in September this year after she became aware of the rumours. She also said she had been forced to quit her job because of the time spent dealing with the case.
The two men were given nine days’ administrative detention after Gu complained to police but Yuhang district people’s court in Hangzhou announced this month that it is further investigating the case, which has attracted widespread attention.
The Zhejiang provincial procuratorate said on Saturday that the rumour has not only hurt the victim but also “disturbed public order online … and seriously harmed the social order”.
Lang’s father told news portal kankanews.com that his 27-year-old son and his friend, aged 24, were just “young kids” sharing a joke.
Gu said in a video posted on social media that she does not want compensation, but the pair must shoulder their criminal responsibilities and realise their behaviour was no joke. She also said she hoped that others in similar positions should learn from the case.
“Stand out bravely. Don’t be afraid and don’t hold back,” said Gu. “It’s not losing face. It’s protecting our rights.”
