Chapter 318: Resist legal punishment? What were you thinking!
As for molestation and attempted rape...
There was an essential distinction between the two, but the difference was not all that great.
At least, their objective forms of criminal conduct were similar.
When it came to criminal penalties, the main consideration was the severity of the circumstances.
No matter how one looked at it, the defendant's conduct did not fall under mere molestation at all.
If it was to be called molestation...
Then it leaned more toward forcible molestation.
Under domestic law, forcibly molesting a woman carried a sentence of up to five years' fixed-term imprisonment if the consequences and circumstances were not serious.
Given the defendant's status as an international student, coupled with the fact that his actions had indeed caused no serious consequences...
He might receive less than a year's fixed-term imprisonment, or a suspended sentence.
He might even receive administrative detention for a public security violation.
The criminal penalty he faced would be very light.
There were precedents for such outcomes.
That was why Jiang Min had raised molestation.
Compared with molestation, attempted rape carried a relatively heavier sentence.
That was also the strategy behind Jiang Min's argument.
Faced with Jiang Min's assertion, Su Bai immediately asked:
"Why has defense counsel characterized this as molestation?"
"Could you state the grounds for that position?"
"From the standpoint of statutory obligations, molestation refers to minor verbal or physical harassment of women or other people."
"What exactly does defense counsel mean by molestation?"
"Forcible molestation?"
"Yes... We believe our conduct toward the victim, Lin Wenhui, constituted forcible molestation, rather than an attempt to force a woman into sexual intercourse."
"The main reason is that our client did not violate Lin Wenhui by having intercourse with her."
Jiang Min agreed with Su