Official on bail in Australia for rape identified

A Chinese official accused of raping a student tour guide in Australia three months ago has been revealed to be Song Jinsong, deputy head of Guangdong provincial urban planning institute, the Nandu Daily reported.

The institute said Song was on a private visit to Australia in August, not sent by the institute, and that it only learned about his case after reading the story in foreign media.

On November 7, Australian newspaper The Age reported that Song, 43, was "charged with raping a university student tour guide assigned to his group," and that he had been on bail since August. It also said that Song had applied to the Melbourne Magistrates Court to "vary his bail to allow his return to China." He was charged with using fingers to have sex with the woman, the Nandu Daily reported.