"Perpetrator Continues Threats Without Remorse, Demanding Post Deletion"
"Time for Major Revisions to Juvenile Law"... Calls for Strong Punishment
Cheong Wa Dae National Petition Related to the Death from Group Assault of Uijeongbu High School Student [National Petition Screenshot]
[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-cheol] As the police investigation into the group assault and death of a 30-year-old family man by high school students in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province is underway, a petition demanding severe punishment for the perpetrators has been posted on the Blue House National Petition site.
The petitioner, Mr. A, wrote under the title "My friend was beaten to death by a group of high school students," claiming, "The police's complacent attitude and the perpetrators' threats (via SNS) are causing great distress to the family and acquaintances."
He continued, "Please help so that the group of high school students who habitually provoked a drunken adult, leading to his death, sincerely apologize and reflect, and so that no other victims emerge."
According to Mr. A's petition, despite the perpetrators having committed the assault that led to the death, the victim’s autopsy, requested by the bereaved family due to ongoing 'false testimonies,' revealed that the cause of death was brain hemorrhage from blows to the face and neck.
Mr. A asserted, "The police only trusted the perpetrators' statements and did not immediately call 119, so my friend arrived at the hospital late and passed away in a state of cardiac arrest."
He added, "The student identified as the direct perpetrator sent two friends to the funeral on his behalf and continues to threaten without remorse by demanding the deletion of posts on various online communities, cafes, and FACEBOOK."
Mr. A specifically revealed, "The perpetrators boasted about the incident to their friends like a war story, and it was through a tip from a student who heard the phrase 'this time he became a vegetable' that the culprits and their group were identified."
Regarding tips about the suspects, Mr. A reported, "The perpetrators are a group that habitually provokes drunken adults at specific locations such as Minrak 2 District in Uijeongbu and commit crimes for financial gain."
He claimed, "Even after assaulting an adult leading to death, they were calmly enjoying the situation, saying things like 'Are we going to become murderers now?' and 'That person became a vegetable.'"
The petitioner also criticized the police response.
He said, "Although the Uijeongbu Police Station identified the perpetrators, they sent them home because they were minors. The police at the local station at the time of the incident performed CPR but only believed the high school students who were the perpetrators and did not investigate, sending them away. This is the reality of the police."
He added, "There was also a tip that the perpetrators regularly enjoyed drinking and said, 'See, even if we drink, the police don’t do their job properly, so we can easily drink and do as we please.'"
He then questioned, "Is it right for the police to treat murderers lightly because they are minors and send them home?" and urged, "Six high school students committed murder and completely destroyed a family. The legal system regarding minors is also problematic," calling for strong punishment.
Another victim’s acquaintance said, "I heard that because they are high school students, they commit murder and walk around without remorse, boasting to those around them," emphasizing the need for swift police investigation and strong punishment.
High school students present at the scene reportedly told the police that "the victim just collapsed."
As of 11 a.m. on the 8th, over 18,500 people had agreed to the petition.
Comments on the petition included, "Punish the perpetrators and revise the Juvenile Act," "There should be no leniency just because they are minors," "Youth crimes are becoming increasingly heinous, so it’s time to overhaul the Juvenile Act," "The police response is disappointing," and "Please abolish the juvenile exemption... students today are different from before."
Meanwhile, according to the Uijeongbu Police Station, around 11 p.m. on the 4th, there was an assault dispute between Mr. B, a man in his 30s returning home, and six high school students in the bustling area of Minrak-dong, Uijeongbu.
During the incident, Mr. B was seriously injured, lost consciousness, was taken to the hospital, and ultimately passed away on the 6th during treatment.
The accused high school students attend different schools, and the police confirmed through analysis of closed-circuit (CC) TV footage that two of the six directly participated in the assault.
The police plan to decide on the suspects’ custody based on the autopsy results of the deceased Mr. B and other evidence.
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