Teacher at Chetham’s School of Music was accused of historical sex abuse in 2013

Chethams

Violinist and pedagogue Wen Zhou Li has been cleared of all charges relating to historical sex abuse dating back to the 1990s. The 61-year-old had been accused by a former pupil of rape and indecent assault while he was teaching at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, UK.

At a hearing in Manchester Crown Court, it emerged that Li’s accuser had previously made similar allegations against another teacher, who had never been prosecuted, and that she had returned to Li for further lessons after the alleged abuse had taken place. Judge Michael Henshall said that Li left the court  ‘without a stain on his character’.

Li was originally arrested in February 2013, as part of a four-year police investigation into abuse at Chetham’s and the Royal Northern College of Music. Originally from China, he taught at the Yehudi Menuhin School after coming to England in 1988. He appeared in a Channel 4 documentary, Learning with Mr Li, which focused on his teaching at Chetham’s.

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