"If You're Unfairly Treated, Report It"... Teacher Forcibly Lifts Student Who Collapsed on Desk Due to Illness, Fined for Assault

A teacher in his 40s who forcibly stood up a student lying face down on a desk due to illness at a high school was fined on charges of assault and child abuse. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Nana] A teacher who forcibly stood up a student who was lying on a desk feeling sick during high school class and said, "If you feel wronged, call 112," was sentenced to a fine on charges of assault and child abuse.

On the 11th, Chuncheon District Court announced that it sentenced A (45), who was indicted on charges of assault and child abuse under the Child Welfare Act, to a fine of 5 million won and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a child abuse treatment program.

A, who worked as a career counseling teacher at a high school in Gangwon Province, was brought to trial on charges of forcibly standing up student B, who was lying on the desk feeling sick during class in May 2019, after B did not respond to requests to get up.

At the time, A told B, "If you feel wronged, report it," and B actually called 112. Then A threatened B by saying, "I am the type to see things through to the end. Shall we go all the way?" implying that B would be punished for false accusation.

Eventually, standing in court, A claimed that he only stood B up to wake him because B did not respond to the question, "Are you feeling sick?" and that he did not assault him. He also argued that although there were somewhat inappropriate expressions during the scolding process, it was not emotional abuse.

After a trial lasting over a year, when the prosecution demanded a six-month prison sentence, A's side said, "I was not a full-time teacher and was in charge of a subject unrelated to college entrance, so students ignored or mocked me and picked fights over everything," and added, "There seems to have been misunderstandings due to lack of communication," but the court ruled guilty.

The court stated, "The defendant exercised physical force and repeatedly made wrongful remarks, causing considerable psychological damage and emotional anxiety," and criticized, "He has not been forgiven and shows a tendency to minimize and justify his mistakes rather than sincerely reflect."

It continued, "However, it cannot be denied that the incident started because the victim child lay on the desk without notifying his condition or submitting a confirmation from the school nurse and showed little reaction to the defendant's words, and considering that the degree of assault cannot be said to be severe," the court ruled.