Student jailed after raping fellow student and forcing her to do assignments

A student who raped an undergraduate and forced her to complete his university assignments during a campaign of violent abuse has been jailed. Chinese citizen Ziyi Shi, 21, attacked the student and subjected her to repeated sexual abuse at student accommodation in Edinburgh.

Shi denied a series of charges during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, but was convicted of three crimes of rape, abusive behaviour and breaching an undertaking not to contact the victim. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.

Judge Thomas Welsh KC told jurors it was a

distressing

case.

What did the court hear happened?

The court heard Shi launched a campaign of abuse towards the victim in September 2022 which continued until January 2024, during which he made derogatory remarks towards her and criticised her appearance. On one occasion he bit her when she refused to have intercourse with him or let him examine her mobile phone.

During another incident he repeatedly kicked her, slapped her face, gripped her by the neck and poured water on her clothing and camera. He also made her complete assignments he was given as an electronics and electrical engineering student at the University of Edinburgh. The court heard that the victim was taking a different course.

What were the sexual offences?

Shi also subjected the woman to sexual assaults and rapes between October 2022 and November 2023 when she was asleep or intoxicated with alcohol and incapable of consenting to sex.

On one occasion in March 2023 he attacked her at halls of residence, removed her underwear, grabbed hold of her and raped her. In another attack on 30 November or 1 December in 2023, he seized the woman by the neck, choked her, repeatedly slapped her face, threatened her and raped her.

The woman told a student adviser that she was scared after being attacked by Shi and had consensual sex with him on other occasions.

What did the judge say?

Judge Welsh told Shi his crimes were

very serious and grave offences.

The judge called for the preparation of a background report and risk assessment on the first offender ahead of sentencing him next month.

Shi was suspended by the university after he was charged and was previously granted bail after he surrendered his passport. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register.

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Key Facts

• Ziyi Shi, 21, was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh of three rapes, abusive behaviour and breaching an undertaking not to contact the victim.
• The abuse took place between September 2022 and January 2024 at student accommodation in Edinburgh.
• The court heard Shi forced the victim to complete his University of Edinburgh assignments.
• He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.
• He was suspended by the university, had previously been granted bail after surrendering his passport and was placed on the sex offenders' register.