<p>A Chinese court on Tuesday threw out a landmark sexual harassment case on the basis of insufficient evidence, in a blow to the country's fledgling #MeToo movement.</p>.<p>Zhou Xiaoxuan, now 28, came forward in 2018 to accuse former state TV host Zhu Jun of forcibly kissing and groping her during her 2014 internship at the broadcaster.</p>.<p>Her claims ignited a social media storm and inspired many women to share their experiences of sexual assault publicly.</p>.<p>But after a three-year legal battle, the court ruled there was not enough evidence to proceed.</p>.<p>"The evidence provided by the plaintiff Zhou was insufficient to prove her argument that she was sexually harassed by the defendant Zhu," Beijing Haidian District People's Court said in a statement late Tuesday, adding that the case would not proceed to trial.</p>.<p>Zhou's case against Zhu was originally filed under the "personality rights" law -- covering rights relating to an individual's health and body -- but her lawyers later asked for it to be considered under new sexual harassment legislation that was passed last year.</p>.<p>Despite the new law, many women in China are still reluctant to come forward with harassment charges, and it is rare for cases to make it to court.</p>.<p>Zhou, also known by the pseudonym Xianzi, was suing for a public apology from Zhu and 50,000 yuan ($7,600) in damages.</p>.<p>"No matter whether I win or lose, I am very honoured to have experienced these three years... with everyone," Zhou told supporters and media on her way into the Beijing court.</p>.<p>Her first hearing in December drew a large crowd and a significant police presence with reporters from several foreign media outlets, including AFP, dragged away by police.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, police had cordoned off the road outside the court.</p>.<p>Zhu did not attend either hearing.</p>.<p>"I hope that, no matter what, Xianzi knows that she has done something very meaningful," said one supporter outside the court, who identified herself only as Lucy.</p>.<p>Beijing has increasingly tightened the space for civil society, and China's #MeToo movement has been restrained by online censorship.</p>.<p>Zhou's own Weibo account has been blocked, while several prominent women's rights accounts appeared to have been deleted after sharing posts about the case.</p>.<p>However, several well-known individuals have come under fire over allegations of sexual misconduct, including the former head of the government-run Buddhist association and Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu, who was arrested in Beijing last month on suspicion of rape.</p>
<p>A Chinese court on Tuesday threw out a landmark sexual harassment case on the basis of insufficient evidence, in a blow to the country's fledgling #MeToo movement.</p>.<p>Zhou Xiaoxuan, now 28, came forward in 2018 to accuse former state TV host Zhu Jun of forcibly kissing and groping her during her 2014 internship at the broadcaster.</p>.<p>Her claims ignited a social media storm and inspired many women to share their experiences of sexual assault publicly.</p>.<p>But after a three-year legal battle, the court ruled there was not enough evidence to proceed.</p>.<p>"The evidence provided by the plaintiff Zhou was insufficient to prove her argument that she was sexually harassed by the defendant Zhu," Beijing Haidian District People's Court said in a statement late Tuesday, adding that the case would not proceed to trial.</p>.<p>Zhou's case against Zhu was originally filed under the "personality rights" law -- covering rights relating to an individual's health and body -- but her lawyers later asked for it to be considered under new sexual harassment legislation that was passed last year.</p>.<p>Despite the new law, many women in China are still reluctant to come forward with harassment charges, and it is rare for cases to make it to court.</p>.<p>Zhou, also known by the pseudonym Xianzi, was suing for a public apology from Zhu and 50,000 yuan ($7,600) in damages.</p>.<p>"No matter whether I win or lose, I am very honoured to have experienced these three years... with everyone," Zhou told supporters and media on her way into the Beijing court.</p>.<p>Her first hearing in December drew a large crowd and a significant police presence with reporters from several foreign media outlets, including AFP, dragged away by police.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, police had cordoned off the road outside the court.</p>.<p>Zhu did not attend either hearing.</p>.<p>"I hope that, no matter what, Xianzi knows that she has done something very meaningful," said one supporter outside the court, who identified herself only as Lucy.</p>.<p>Beijing has increasingly tightened the space for civil society, and China's #MeToo movement has been restrained by online censorship.</p>.<p>Zhou's own Weibo account has been blocked, while several prominent women's rights accounts appeared to have been deleted after sharing posts about the case.</p>.<p>However, several well-known individuals have come under fire over allegations of sexual misconduct, including the former head of the government-run Buddhist association and Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu, who was arrested in Beijing last month on suspicion of rape.</p>