Alibaba fires manager over suspected sexual assault

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s largest e-commerce company Alibaba said Monday it fired a manager accused of sexual assault and pledged to strengthen its anti-sexual harassment policy after a female employee accused the company of withholding her report about the attack.

According to local media reports, an unidentified employee published an internal post on Saturday in which she detailed an alleged sexual assault committed by her supervisor and a client during a business trip. She testified that she was forced to consume alcohol, that her manager sexually assaulted her in a hotel room while she was under the influence of alcohol, and that she was molested by a customer while her manager turned a blind eye.

The employee stated that the company did not take the matter seriously when she reported the assault, and that, according to her post, she was told the suspect would not be fired from the company.

A memo from Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang, made public on Monday, said the accused perpetrator – who worked at the Neighborhood Retail business unit – admitted to “intimate acts” with a female employee while she was under the influence of alcohol. Zhang said the manager was fired because he seriously violated company policy. The manager could not be identified.

“Whether he committed rape or obscenity that violates the law will be decided by law enforcement,” Zhang said.

Two other executives, namely the president of the Neighborhood Retail business unit and the unit’s head of human resources, resigned to take responsibility for the mishandling of the case.

“When an employee reported a heinous act such as rape, he did not take timely decisions or appropriate actions,” Zhang said. “Therefore, they must be accountable as leaders.”

Alibaba’s chief executive, Judy Tong, was also subjected to misconduct because its human resources department “failed to devote sufficient attention and care to our employees.”

In the memo, Zhang pledged to accelerate the creation of an anti-sexual harassment policy that includes “zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behavior.” He also announced that the company would undergo training on the protection of employees’ rights and interests and that a dedicated reporting channel would be created, thanks to which employees would be able to report a situation in which they feel violated.

On Sunday, the company said it was cooperating with police to investigate the incident. Police in Jinan said in a Weibo post that they were investigating the abuse of an Alibaba employee.

Official media heavily criticized Alibaba for taking action only after the victim went public with the allegations.

“The public is asking why the company is reacting so late to the incident that occurred on July 27,” reads an editorial by state media Global Times. “Alibaba has been unable to provide a response satisfactory to the public regarding this inaction.”

Alibaba’s Hong Kong share price fell 2.48% on Monday to trade at HK$188.70 ($24.25).

The scandal comes just months after regulators imposed a record $2.8 billion fine on Alibaba for antitrust behavior, following a government crackdown on the technology sector following years of unchecked market growth.

The global #MeToo movement against sexual harassment has also gained traction in China in recent years, where accusations have been leveled against several scientists, a TV presenter and celebrities, although convictions are few.

In a recent case, star Kris Wu was arrested in Beijing on rape charges after a Chinese influencer accused him of forcing girls to drink alcohol and then sexually assaulting them.

In 2018, the founder of e-commerce company JD.com, Richard Liu, was arrested in the US and charged with raping a Chinese student, although US prosecutors did not later charge him.