Shenzhen mistress jailed 14 years after tycoon complaint
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A first-instance court in Shenzhen has sentenced a woman in her 30s to 14 years’ imprisonment after a prominent investor, said to be nearing 60, and his wife pursued criminal and civil action against her following an extramarital relationship. The case has drawn attention because the woman’s new defence lawyer says the trial process was seriously flawed and plans to argue for acquittal on appeal.
Key Points
- The case centres on a Shenzhen investment-sector tycoon, described as nearly 60, who had a years-long affair with a woman born in the 1990s.
- During the relationship, the woman reportedly underwent multiple miscarriages and acted as a surrogate, while the man provided financial support below the widely rumoured US$50 million.
- After the affair was exposed, the tycoon filed a criminal complaint alleging fraud and extortion, while his wife separately sued to recover all gifted assets.
- The Nanshan District People’s Court in Shenzhen delivered its first-instance ruling on Friday, September 4, convicting the woman of fraud and extortion and imposing 14 years’ imprisonment.
- Defence lawyer Zhang Xinnian (張新年) said his team was accepted on Thursday, September 3, then denied standing a day later before judgment was delivered to dismissed former counsel.
Why It Matters
The case is likely to remain in focus because the appeal is expected to test the lawyer’s allegations of serious procedural irregularities and the handling of criminal charges arising from intimate financial disputes. For Hong Kong readers, the story also raises wider questions about how wealth, influence and gendered power can shape public perceptions of justice in cross-border Chinese legal cases