China court upholds general's son rape conviction

An appeal against a rape conviction by the teenage son of a Chinese general has been rejected, court authorities said Wednesday, after a case that highlighted the extravagant lifestyles of China's elite. Li Tianyi, the 17-year-old son of military singer Li Shuangjiang, was sentenced to 10 years in jail in September for his involvement in the rape of a woman in a Beijing hotel in February. Four other males were found guilty of the crime, which drew widespread scrutiny in China, where the children of the elite are often seen as living lavishly or above the law due to their connections. The Beijing No.1 Intermediate Court has "affirmed the original sentence", the court said on its verified account on Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter. State media said last month that Li was one of two defendants to appeal the conviction. Li's father Li Shuangjiang holds a rank equivalent to general in China's military as dean of the music department for the army's Academy of Arts, and is known for singing patriotic songs. Li Tianyi had previously triggered controversy in 2011 after he and another teenager, both driving expensive cars, attacked a couple who reportedly blocked their passage, while the victims' child looked on.