 鲜花( 3)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
A prominent University of Alberta researcher and his wife are facing charges related to the alleged sexual assault and confinement of a minor, the Journal has learned.
, | q/ O* e4 Z5 |! @ i' m
1 J+ \, K" A0 y. K* e5 s; uZhixiang Wang, 51, is facing one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual contact with a child for offences allegedly carried out between Nov. 2009 and May 31, 2010, court records show.
% d& ?9 c+ ^' y* Q1 P( g X* Q1 j2 j" m W
His wife, Xinmei Chen, 49, is charged with one count of unlawful confinement of a child between May 31, 2010 and Jan. 29, 2013, the records show.
, h: O- _: R- Y. O2 {% W" A2 ]7 V3 b! p4 O& J
The same victim, a girl under the age of 16, is listed in both cases.
! g7 p/ c+ y# s1 Y3 t- a
3 l& m" T; X, [& }Both were arrested at Edmonton police headquarters and charged on Feb. 14, police spokesman Scott Pattison said in an email. There are no other potential victims, he added.
6 Y; Y8 M& s7 p3 \7 L
, C; \4 m3 s O, {3 W& L wWang, an associate professor in the university’s department of medical genetics, was named a senior heritage scholar in 2000 by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.( l2 J6 O1 f) C" V
; f3 u% o' I. ^3 [According to an article about Wang in the foundation’s fall 2003 issue, Wang joined the U of A in 1999. He had been studying cell biology of locusts, but according to the article, made the switch to medical-related research in 1994 while pursuing post-doctoral research at the University of Toronto.1 L1 N9 m% @7 I9 j, j# g
, L7 m4 F- g! ?( ]$ k5 |* {At the time, the article says, Wang’s research focused on a protein found in most body fluids that, in high levels, can lead to the development of breast cancer.; |+ H1 Z5 z0 @+ L: B* ?0 _9 C* L* p
C; J- O% L" H: v5 K' T) R4 S5 sHe has numerous academic publications to his name, including several authored with Chen, who is listed on the U of A website as a technician working in Wang’s lab.
/ Z8 f* P" C7 J4 R/ K/ D. ]
: w' H- h. v! `6 I/ J7 EWang’s cancer research is considered among the most promising in Canada. In 2005, he was awarded a grant from the Canadian Cancer Society worth more than $350,000. His research explored how overactivity in certain proteins that play an important role in cell growth can be linked to the development of skin and brain cancers.
& v. ~* L1 t/ `) |& G3 L @
; h0 z; A1 _3 t# MU of A spokesman Bryan Alary confirmed in an email that both Wang and Chen are university employees currently on leave.! O/ W+ A/ P: k+ l
: |, H: \! w: Y$ m: O& a% {The university considers cases where an employee is charged criminally on a case-by-case basis, Alary said.* \. P; E% y/ d$ B+ W7 P2 `
: m) b' E4 B; e1 A
“Factors the university would take into account include whether there is a real or perceived connection between the charges and the person’s employment and whether the person’s presence on campus posed a real or perceived danger to the university or members of its community,” he said.! H( d* Y/ G+ i- X8 c1 O; e- C
8 o/ U' L2 M6 A2 W4 T! S
Both Chen and Wang made their first appearance in Edmonton court on Feb. 14 and were released on bail.3 }5 x' h' l2 o; J$ ]1 }
6 j. }* v" w& a+ R G$ _. G# U- f5 YTheir next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.$ r( K8 f6 v( m# d' D
7 Q7 R" h- V9 l; w: X |
|