"Didn’t Acknowledge Me…" 40s Patent Attorney Sentenced for Assaulting 20s on the Street

Contacted the approximately 20-year-old victim several times after asking for their contact information

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A 40-year-old patent attorney who was prosecuted for assaulting a woman in her 20s after she ignored him on the street despite exchanging phone numbers has been sentenced to prison in the first trial.

According to the court on the 8th, Judge Lee Gwang-yeol of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 23 sentenced patent attorney A (47, male) to 4 months in prison on charges of injury.

Earlier, A was prosecuted for assaulting B (26, female) around 1 p.m. on May 3 last year on a street in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, by following her, pushing the back of her head, and pulling her hand several times while she was holding a mobile phone when she tried to report to the police, causing injury.

It was investigated that A committed the crime after pretending to know B, whom he met on the street that day, but B ignored him and passed by. A was only acquainted with B, having asked for her contact information on the street in 2017 and exchanged messages several times.

B suffered injuries requiring 60 days of medical treatment and a fracture on the fourth finger of her left hand due to this incident. She underwent surgery but is reported to be at risk of sequelae such as arthritis and limited range of motion.

Judge Lee found A guilty and sentenced him to imprisonment. He criticized, "The victim suffered not only physical harm but also considerable mental distress and is pleading for severe punishment against the defendant."

Judge Lee added, "On the other hand, the defendant did not try to reach a settlement with the victim and only paid about 2.7 million won out of the support funds (medical expenses) paid by the state to the victim through subrogation," and stated, "the sentence was determined after considering various circumstances such as the defendant's age, criminal record, motive and circumstances of the crime, and post-crime situation."

A has appealed the first trial verdict.