'Father in his 50s arrested and indicted for sexually assaulting his biological daughter for over 10 years... Daughter took extreme measures after reporting'

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[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] A woman in her 20s, A, who reported to the police the fact that she had been sexually assaulted by her biological father for over ten years since her teenage years, tragically took her own life.

According to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office and the police on the 19th, B, a man in his 50s and A's biological father, was arrested and indicted earlier this month on charges of quasi-rape within a family relationship under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act for sexually assaulting his daughter since she was a minor.

A recently reported the sexual assault to the Seoul Seongdong Police Station in the early morning of the 5th of last month, persuaded by her boyfriend who had learned of the abuse. Although A was moved to a temporary shelter arranged by the police, she expressed mental distress and was found dead on the 8th of the same month. The victim was no longer able to testify about the abuse. B strongly denied the charges during police questioning.

The police secured circumstantial evidence proving the sexual assault, including A's social network service (SNS) posts. In around 2019, the victim posted on SNS her feelings such as "I couldn't say anything because I didn't want my dad to feel guilty," and "My one and only dad, thinking he was not my dad makes me feel like I have lost everything."

It is reported that father B also denied the charges at the prosecution. B's first trial will be held next month at the Seoul Eastern District Court.

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