"I have never accused anyone of sexually assaulting me."
Tennis player Peng Shuai returns to talk publicly about the story that saw her as a protagonist in China after a post on her verified Weibo account accused former deputy premier Zhang Gaoli, 75, of sexual abuse. The words were erased by the Great Firewall's Internet censors within minutes and followed by his mysterious disappearance, for three weeks, to the world's great concern.
The champion, since she reappeared, keeps repeating that nothing has happened to her but it is not clear how spontaneous and unmanned these statements are.
THE INTERVIEW - Peng spoke in a short interview with the Singapore-language Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao at an International Cross-Country Ski Federation event in Shanghai: “I have never said or written anything accusing someone of sexually assaulting me. I like to make this point very clearly, "he said.
His freedom of movement, he added, was never restricted. And the e-mail sent to Steve Simon, president of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA, the association of the women's professional circuit), to reassure him of his status was done "entirely of my own free will."
Peng therefore denied being under surveillance. To a specific question she replied: "Why should it be like this? I have always been very free". On the video call he had with the head of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, Peng confirmed that he had kept it "from my home in Beijing", adding that he was grateful to him for showing concern.
THE WTO - Words that still do not reassure the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), the association of the women's tennis professional circuit: "These appearances do not alleviate or address the significant concerns of the WTA about her well-being and her ability to communicate without censorship or coercion, "the organization said in a statement, reiterating that it still wants a" complete, fair and transparent, and uncensored "investigation.
"We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent, uncensored investigation into your sexual assault allegation, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern," the WTA said in a statement.
(Unioneonline / D)