UN Seeks Answers From China On Disappearance Of Tennis Champ Peng Shuai

The United Nations has become involved in the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shuai, who vanished from public view after accusing a high-ranking member of the Chinese government of sexual assault.

What Happened: The 35-year-old Peng is a former top-ranked player in women's doubles. She won titles at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014 and represented China in three Olympics.

She has not been seen since she made a post on the Weibo social media site on Nov. 2 accusing former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of repeatedly forcing her to have sex with him at his home. Although Chinese censors removed the post and shut down Peng’s Weibo account, news of her accusation quickly spread across China and quickly filtered overseas.

On Wednesday morning, Chinese state-run media reported that Peng sent an email to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) claiming the accusations made against Zhang were "not true" and that "I'm not missing, nor am I unsafe. I've just been resting at home and everything is fine." The WTA has questioned the legitimacy of the email.

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What Happened Next: ESPN reported the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva is seeking information from the Chinese government on Peng’s whereabouts. Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for the office, called for "an investigation with full transparency into her allegation of sexual assault — and I think we would say that should be the case into all allegations of sexual assault. It is really important to ensure accountability, to ensure justice for the victims."
However, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry claimed ignorance on the issue, saying it was "not a diplomatic question and I'm not aware of the situation."

The International Olympic Committee has opted not to get involved, issuing a statement that said “quiet diplomacy offers the best opportunity to find a solution for questions of such nature.”

But Steve Simon, head of the WTA, told CNN that his organization was ready to cancel tournaments scheduled in China if the matter was not resolved.

"We're definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it," Simon said. "Because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business."

CNN has also reported that China is blocking its broadcast signal to prevent Chinese viewers from hearing about Peng and the concern growing around her.

Photo: Claude TRUONG-NGOC/Wikimedia Commons