The winter mornings were exceptionally cold. Dew condensed on the grass and trees. The sun spread from afar, illuminating the city without a trace of warmth.
Crowds gathered at the door of the court, standing in the sun, trying to get some warm comfort from the warm colors.
After the media reported the incident many times, the sexual assault case involving Ye Sibei finally came to a final decision.
Due to privacy issues, the trial was not open to the public, and reporters and family members were kept outside the court, but this did not dampen everyone's interest.
Some hosts are putting on makeup, some self-media hosts are narrating previous events, it’s a lively scene, everyone is waiting for the final result.
"This sexual assault case that occurred in South City in April 2018 has finally reached the final trial stage. After the defendant was acquitted in the first instance, the moral integrity of the plaintiff Ms. Ye has once again become the focus of society. Is it workplace sexual assault or a sex trade scandal? Today, the court will give us the final answer."
Some reporters gave a summary of the situation from an official perspective.
"More and more netizens are participating in this discussion, scolding the plaintiff and then scolding the defendant. In this case of repeated reversals, we can't help but wonder, who should bear the damage caused by netizens' excessive participation in personal cases?"
Some self-media anchors conducted a more in-depth analysis of the case’s impact on society from a social perspective.
Some talk shows also stopped passers-by standing on the roadside holding signs that read "Come on Ye Sibei" to cheer her up: "If Ye Sibei loses the case, will you still support her?"
"Yes." The girl blew out a puff of mist as she spoke.
"Have you ever thought that if she really made a false accusation, then what you are doing is unfair to the defendant?"
"Then have you ever thought about this," the girl frowned, "she called the police so late, it's already hard for this trial to be fair. If she loses the case simply because of lack of evidence, and has to face social humiliation and trial, isn't that a greater injustice?"
"We don't want to attack the defendant, we just want a woman who has the courage to file a lawsuit to be able to return to a normal life."
There was a lot of arguing and noise at the door.
In contrast, the courtroom is solemn and dignified.
The judge and clerk sat at the top of the court, with the prosecutor and the defendant's defense attorney sitting on the left and right sides respectively.
The gallery was completely empty, not even the family members were there.
"Your Honor, I have no further questions."
After the defendant answered the prosecutor's last question, the prosecutor nodded to the presiding judge and sat down immediately.
The defendant breathed a sigh of relief, and another prosecutor stood up and said, "Your Honor, we would like to request the victim to appear in court next."
"Please ask the victim to appear in court."
The presiding judge nodded toward a small door nearby.
The defendant was led out of the courtroom by the police. The moment he walked out of the courtroom and closed the door, everyone heard a creaking sound coming from the direction of the side door.
Everyone turned around and saw a young woman appearing at the door.
She was wearing a light-colored dress, and her soft hair was tied into a low ponytail behind her with a pearl headband. She had no makeup on her face and sprayed fresh perfume on her body.
She straightened her back, facing everyone, so calm, so composed, with a thriving power, like tender grass pushing away rocks and breaking through the soil in spring, like plum blossoms slowly blooming in the cold wind.
She looked at everyone quietly.
This was the first time she had worn a skirt in nearly a year.
First time putting on makeup.
First time wearing perfume.
For the first time, I chose a decorative hair band to tie up my hair.
It was also the first time in her life that she held her head high and walked in this world with her head held high.
She came to where the defendant had stood and calmly introduced herself.
"My name is Ye Sibei, I'm 28 years old, from Nancheng, and I used to work in the finance department of Fuqiang Real Estate as an accountant."
Her voice was gentle yet firm, stating an experience she had already stated countless times.
She behaved very well, she didn't cry or lose control, she was just objective and stated everything like an outsider.
After finishing her statement, she was cross-examined by both parties and began to prove that she did not lie.
The defense counsel asked her one question after another until finally, he asked a question.
"Ms. Ye, you have always claimed that you did not do it voluntarily and that you had no private contact with the suspect before. Then can you tell me why you chose to remain silent after experiencing such a serious trauma and then suddenly filed a complaint?"
Everyone stared at her, and the defense attorney's gaze fell sharply on her eyes: "Why didn't you call the police in the beginning?"
Why don’t you choose to call the police when the harm first occurs
Ye Sibei listened to the other party's question and she couldn't help but turn back slowly.
There was no one in the gallery, but she felt as if there was someone sitting there.
He looked to be about 28 or 29 years old, wearing a dark blue jacket, his hair had not been taken care of for a long time and was scattered around his ears, and he had stubble on his face. With his wheat-colored skin and heroic features, he had a kind of rugged calmness and handsomeness that was completely different from the delicate pretty boys that were popular nowadays.
He should look at her with eyes that are calm and firm, like a boat floating on the sea and a lamp shining in the dark night.
Why not call the police
She was asked this question countless times.
However, if we want to find the answer to this question, how can we explain it clearly in just a few words
Perhaps we need to dissect the bloody past and future from the chaos to explore the origin of this silence.
Ye Sibei, why didn't you call the police
Who gave you the courage to embark on this thorny road