TWO sisters, one of them 15 years old and the other 20, falsely reported being raped to get a stolen gold necklace back from the man they slept with, police said yesterday.

The sisters, both working as prostitutes, told police in Pudong last month they had been raped in a hotel in Kangqiao Town by a man who then stole a necklace.

Police traced the suspect soon after, but his WeChat messages with the two sisters, surnamed Che, showed that he had known them for some time. The man, aged 20 and surnamed Cheng, admitted stealing a gold necklace from the pair and selling it for 2,800 yuan (US$410).

Shown the messages, the sisters admitted that they had agreed to have sex in return for payment with Cheng.

They have been punished with 10 days of detention for prostitution and Cheng faces a theft charge.