[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The special investigation team led by Special Prosecutor Ahn Mi-young (55, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 25), which is investigating the death of Air Force Staff Sergeant Lee Ye-ram, a victim of sexual violence, has begun a "psychological autopsy" to analyze the cause of her extreme choice.
According to the legal community and Yonhap News on the 28th, the special investigation team recently requested a psychological autopsy of Staff Sergeant Lee from the National Forensic Service.
A psychological autopsy is an investigative method that examines the deceased's psychological and behavioral changes leading up to their extreme choice by reviewing their writings during life and interviewing bereaved family members, aiming to infer the reasons behind the extreme choice.
Based on the results, the special investigation team is expected to examine how much pressure, persuasion, and secondary harm from military personnel influenced Staff Sergeant Lee's extreme choice.
Staff Sergeant Lee, who belonged to the Air Force 20th Fighter Wing, was sexually assaulted by a senior non-commissioned officer in March last year and reported it, but she took her own life on May 21 last year while the military prosecution investigation was ongoing.
The Ministry of National Defense filed criminal charges against a total of 25 people in October last year and prosecuted 15. However, the command, including the military police and military prosecutors of the 20th Fighter Wing who handled the initial investigation and Air Force Legal Office Chief Jeon Ik-su who supervised the military prosecution, decided not to prosecute due to insufficient evidence, causing controversy.
From 9 a.m. today, the special investigation team sent prosecutors and investigators to the Air Force Headquarters, the 20th Fighter Wing, and the 15th Special Mission Wing where Staff Sergeant Lee worked after experiencing sexual violence, to conduct a search and seizure. The special investigation team stated, "As of 6 p.m., some of the search and seizure has been completed," adding, "It seems that extracting data for some parts will take time."
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