Well-known anti-discrimination activist apologizes after volunteer accuses him of rape

China’s #MeToo movement spreads to the NGO sector?

Lei Chuang (雷闯), a well-known activist who has campaigned for years against discrimination towards those with hepatitis B, has apologized — partially — after a former volunteer at his charity shared an open letter on WeChat on Monday morning, accusing him of sexual assault.

The anonymous woman wrote that she participated in a 19-day hiking trip from Mongolia to Beijing that was organized by Lei’s charity to raise awareness of the need for cheaper hepatitis B medicines back in July 2015. Throughout the trip, Lei took special care of her, buying her ice cream and putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked, insisting that he saw her as a “little sister.”

Towards the end of the trip, Lei announced that the group had to be broken up into teams of three before heading to Beijing. He chose the then 20-year-old woman to travel with him. She didn’t suspect anything untoward until he booked a single-bed hotel room for them the night before they reached Beijing. When she confronted Lei about the decision, he replied that this was simply common practice, since people who work in public welfare don’t have enough money for separate hotel rooms.