The founder of the Beijing art examination training institution “Shadow Platform”, Du Yingzhe, who has been accused of sexually assaulting at least 23 students over a period of 15 years, went on trial in April, but has not yet been sentenced. Recently, former students and employees of the Shadow Platform have come forward to share their experiences of victimization, once again drawing attention to the case.
According to a report from mainland China’s Knews on June 5th, Du Yingzhe, the founder of the film and television art examination training institution “Shadow Platform”, is suspected of rape and forced indecent assault. The case went to trial in April of this year, with the prosecution recommending a life sentence, but the court did not deliver a verdict on the spot.
Recently, a former student and former employee of the Shadow Platform, using the pseudonym Youxin, once again exposed Du Yingzhe’s misconduct to the media. She recalled that she had obtained a qualification for directing from an art examination, but due to her low scores in the college entrance examination, she sought help from Du Yingzhe. Du Yingzhe claimed that his girlfriend attended the school where Youxin had applied, and could help. Subsequently, Du Yingzhe, his girlfriend, and Youxin went out for a meal together. After dinner, the two invited Youxin to stay at their residence. That night, with his girlfriend present, Du Yingzhe sexually assaulted Youxin.
Another former student, Xiaowei, also could not escape from Du Yingzhe’s “clutches”. But “they made me shower right away, washed the sheets, they cleaned up the crime scene right away. Before I could recover, there was no evidence left,” she said.
Not only Youxin and Xiaowei, according to reports, from 2005 to 2020, over a span of 15 years, Du Yingzhe sexually assaulted and forced indecent acts upon 23 women, including several minors.
Public records show that Du Yingzhe is a master’s degree holder from the Literature Department of the Beijing Film Academy, and was once one of the screenwriters for the well-known animation “Adventure of Little Koi”. In 2007, he founded the “Shadow Platform”, which at its peak, admitted 500 students in one intake.
In the second half of 2022, a lengthy article titled “The Blood and Tears Accusations of 21 Art Examination Circles about Dusiqi, concerning the Shadow Du Yingzhe” ignited public opinion. In the article, 21 female students recounted their own experiences and accused Du Yingzhe of molesting and raping female students over a long period.
Subsequently, the popular internet celebrity “Shi Ziyi” with 1.46 million followers exposed on Weibo that in each intake of the “Shadow Platform”, many female students were victimized. The earliest victim known dated back to the literature class of 2007. One young girl, at the age of 17, was lured by the institution and dropped out of school after becoming pregnant, giving birth to Du Yingzhe’s child at the age of 18.
Shi Ziyi stated, “Du Yingzhe’s actions may constitute the most serious case of sexual exploitation in the domestic education sector in terms of severity, duration, number of victims, and the youngest average age of victims.”
The disclosures have sparked widespread attention and condemnation from society, leading to Du Yingzhe being criminally detained on September 22, 2022.
Beijing Film Academy scandal – Notorious head of a prestigious art examination institution accused of seducing students.
Beijing renowned art examination institution founder Du Yingzhe implicated in the sexual assault of 20 female students.