Help A #MeToo Survivor and Daughter Win Their Case
What I’ve experienced isn’t what any woman should ever go through. First there was the violence of non-consensual sex forced on me, followed by lies and denial. Then, rare moments of hope, followed by setbacks tinged with revenge from a father who won’t acknowledge his child’s existence. This child is my daughter. For 20 years I’ve hidden the nightmare involving her origin by my silence, even though my daughter’s father is a public figure.
With your help, the truth of our experience will be told. When it is, I hope justice will prevail. This is why I’m emerging from the shadows, not for me, but for my daughter.
(Charlotte and me in 2003) In 2000, I was a journalist working for a local Chinese newspaper in Los Angeles. I was assigned to interview a famous Chinese dissident, a political refugee in America, who people called the “Godfather of the Democratic Movement in China.” I wrote the story, but in doing so, my life was changed forever by his sexual assault of me.
Let’s just say, nine months after I did that story, I gave birth to a beautiful daughter, who bore no resemblance to my then-husband. My husband knew why since I’d told him about the sexual assault after it happened. My marriage ended, and my life as a single mom began. To protect my daughter and me from possible backlash about how she was conceived and her father’s identity, I kept my ordeal quiet. The two of us moved to Hong Kong.
(story drawing by Charlotte)Through the years I never thought about contacting my daughter's biological father, whom I met only once. I didn’t consider doing this even after I lost my job as an editor in 2012. But then a former colleague, Beifeng, left Hong Kong for the United States. He’d criticized me for "depriving the child the right to be recognized by her father," and later persuaded me to let him bring a lock of my daughter’s hair, wrapped it in tissue paper, that he took with him to the United States.
(drawing by Charlotte)Months later, my heart sank when Beifeng reported back to me that this man had denied everything, even the possibility of knowing me, let alone the possibility of having fathered a child. He’d committed this horrible crime against me, but he refused to acknowledge this truth. For to accept that he’d fathered a daughter, he’d have to admit how she came to existence. It appeared that he was refusing to allow his carefully crafted story about his “heroic” life to be marred by acknowledging his daughter’s existence.
After this news reached me, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and started to see a doctor regularly. Professionally, however, I had to appear calm and collected so I could earn a living that would support the two of us. I worked as a freelance writer and translator, while also raising my daughter on my own.
(drawing by Charlotte)Five years later, in 2018, in the midst of #MeToo movement, when sexual abuse and harassment were receiving public attention globally, rumors spread online about this famous Chinese man having fathered an illegitimate child. At that point, I contacted him by phone from Hong Kong and boldly asked for child support.
He agreed to a DNA test that was performed privately in Washington D.C.., The DNA results proved that he was Charlotte's father. The person who shared the results with him said that he had responded positively to having a daughter. Accordingly, when I contacted him again, he promised to assist us by at least paying for her education. But later on he denied being Charlotte’s father as he challenged the DNA results, shirked his responsibility as her biological father, and ignored that I was a victim of his violent sexual assault.
(drawing by Charlotte)The rest of the story is detailed in Huaizhao Liu v. Jingsheng Wei, case #1:19-cv-03344, which was heard in the Washington, D.C. federal court. Charlotte’s father managed to find the funds necessary to hire a high-powered defense attorney to help him to deny both our dignity and his basic obligations of paternity.
We believe that Charlotte’s biological father should be forced to keep his promise of supporting her education, and we are asking that he release the DNA test results to us. His 19-year old daughter deserves to know the truth.
The weight of evidence is on our side, but we risk losing the lawsuit that we are filing against him if we cannot raise the money we need to hire an attorney who is as capable as his lawyer. What is at risk is Charlotte's right to a quality education, along with the legally binding acknowledgement of his paternity.
(Charlotte drawing)With your assistance – with your contributions – we intend to hire an attorney who is experienced in sexual assault and paternity cases. We hope to win this #MeToo case and pursue respectful, equal and democratic human relationship in Chinese community.
Here are some online stories and commentary about this, in Chinese:
https://bit.ly/2DBgpZ4
曾金燕：《劉懷昭對魏京生案》
(by Dr. Jinyan Zeng, writer, filmmaker, Time Magazine 100 Pioneers & Heroes 2007, Sakharov Prize’s one of four semi-finalists by the European Parliament 2007, Women Who Shake the World 2008 by the Daily Beast’s 150, and tens of other writing, creativity, feminist or human rights awards’ laureate)
https://www.storm.mg/article/2891777?mode=whole
廖亦武：《魏京生DNA認親案》
(by Liao Yiwu, award winner of Human Rights Watch Hellman-Hammett Grant 2003, the German Geschwister-Scholl-Preis 2011 and the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2012.)
http://minzhuzhongguo.org/MainArtShow.aspx?AID=105641
齊家貞：《我認識的劉懷昭和魏京生》
(by Qi JIazhen, writer in exile, author of autobiographical series: Tears of the Goddess of Liberty and Red Dog. Qi is the Chairwoman of the Women Writers committee, Independent Chinese PEN Center.)
https://liuvswei.blogspot.com/2020/08/metoo.html
劉家儀：夜深思考：社會民主運動中的Metoo－淺談劉魏案
(by Lau Kayee, Chairwoman of Network for Women In Politics, Hong Kong; Spokeswoman of Hong Kong Civil Human Rights Front.)
With your contributions, we will be able to set a positive example for #MeToo victims by raising awareness about women’s and children's rights, globally.
(drawing by Charlotte)