The rape victim is helped out of a suitcase by students passing by. [Photo/Sina Weibo]

The latest rape case in which a young woman was raped by her flat mate puts the safety of women under the spotlight.

The woman was found locked up in a suitcase, naked, near a lake in Xiangtan, Central China's Hunan province, on Monday evening. A group of college students opened the case and dressed her.

After police investigation, it was revealed that she had been raped by a 23-year-old man, surnamed Pan, who shared a flat with her. The perpetrator put her into a case and intended to get rid of it after the woman passed out in the assault.

Pan abandoned the suitcase and jumped into the lake near where the victim woke and her cry for help drew the attention of passersby.

The escaped perpetrator was later arrested in the lake by police.

After a video clip about the woman's rescue was uploaded onto China's micro blog site Sina Weibo, the news hashtag #naked woman locked up in suitcase# attracted more than 100 million views. It outraged many netizens and sparked calls for women to raise their safety awareness.

Some expressed sympathy for the victim. "Heart broken. Girls should well protect themselves," said Weixin 11733.

Others called for the harsh punishment on violators. "Death penalty on rapists would greatly improve women's safety," remarked Li Anna.

In China, offenders in a sexual assault face at least three years in prison and the death penalty if the violation is serious.