Male Elementary Student Follows Female Restroom, Illegally Films Classmate... Punishment Is '3 Hours of School Service'

Victim's Mother "I Didn't Even Drink Water Afraid to Go to the Bathroom"
Boy A "Momentarily Made a Wrong Decision Without Thinking... Regretful and Embarrassed"

A 6th-grade male elementary school student who secretly entered the girls' restroom at an academy and illegally filmed a female student attending the same school was given a "3-hour school community service" penalty. Photo by JTBC Broadcast Screen Capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] A sixth-grade male elementary school student followed a female classmate and illegally filmed her in the girls' restroom at an academy. The caught male student was given a three-hour school service punishment.

According to a JTBC report on the 24th, sixth-grade student A illegally filmed B, a female student from the same school who used the girls' restroom at the academy, and was referred to the School Violence Countermeasures Committee (School Violence Committee).

On the day of the incident, the academy's internal closed-circuit television (CCTV) captured A wearing an inverted hat lingering in front of the girls' restroom. A entered the boys' restroom but soon came out and peered inside the girls' restroom.

Then, when B, who also attended the same academy, entered the restroom, A looked around and followed her into the girls' restroom. Shortly after, B, who came out first, realized someone was filming her with a cellphone from the adjacent stall and waited in front of the restroom door for a while to identify the culprit.

Since experiencing this incident in March, B has reportedly been suffering severe distress, to the point where she cannot even drink water properly. B's parents expressed that she is too scared to even receive counseling treatment as recalling the incident is frightening.

B's mother appealed, "At school, she neither drinks water nor eats soup. When she comes home, she runs in hurriedly. She is holding her urine." She added, "Who would think such a thing would happen? (The perpetrator) seems to be doing very well. That upsets our child even more."

Meanwhile, the School Violence Committee's punishment for A was only three hours of school service. The committee stated that this punishment was given considering it was his first offense. The Education Support Office commented, "This decision was made comprehensively considering his young age and remorse."

In response, B's mother claimed, "I heard from the police that other people's photos were also found on the cellphone," and added, "I told the School Violence Committee, but it was not accepted."

In his letter of reflection, A wrote, "First, I sincerely want to apologize to the victim. If I meet the victim in person, I will apologize even more sincerely." He continued, "Even now, I deeply regret and feel ashamed that I made such a wrong decision without any thought at that moment."

He added, "From now on, I will reflect and work hard so that such an incident never happens again," and "I will receive psychological treatment as my parents and teachers advised and will never engage in wrongful behavior."

He also wrote, "I will live honestly and diligently at school and help friends who need assistance. I will always think deeply and act carefully. I am sorry for committing a wrongdoing."

The Gyeonggi Gwangmyeong Police Station stated that since A is a juvenile who cannot be subject to criminal punishment, the case will soon be transferred to the family court.