Wen Zhou Li plays violin.
In 2014, Wen Zhou Li was criminally charged with raping an underage student at Chetham’s School of Music during the 1990s. Although those criminal charges, which require a high standard of proof, were dropped in 2016, a subsequent civil court case found him responsible for the abuse.
In a 2021 lawsuit brought by the former pupil against the school, the judge ruled that, on the balance of probabilities (the standard for civil cases), the assaults by Li did take place. The court found Chetham’s “vicariously liable” for the abuse facilitated on its premises, and the school issued a public apology. The public record does not specify when Li’s affiliations with Chetham’s, the Royal Northern College of Music, or the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire were severed.
Affiliations
NB: To give a more complete picture of a person's impact on the field, we endeavor to list prominent, long-held, and current affiliations regardless of when any alleged incidents occurred.
Articles
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Pidd, Helen (October 16, 2014). Chetham’s violin teacher in court over rape charge. The Guardian.
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The Strad (March 30, 2016). Violin tutor Wen Zhou Li cleared of rape charges. The Strad.
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Pidd, Helen (March 30, 2016). Charges dropped against Chetham violin teacher accused of raping pupil. The Guardian.
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The Violin Channel (March 30, 2016). Chetham’s Violin Professor Wen Zhou Li Cleared of Abuse Charges. The Violin Channel. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016.
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Pidd, Helen (May 27, 2021). Chetham’s School of Music ‘facilitated’ sexual abuse of pupil, says judge. The Guardian.
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BBC (May 27, 2021). Chetham's School of Music 'facilitated sexual abuse of pupil'. BBC. Archived from the original on May 27, 2021.