Visited Mother's Workplace and Sent a Letter
Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch Sentences to 8 Months Imprisonment with 2 Years Probation
Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of stalking by making phone calls or sending text and KakaoTalk messages to Ms. B 138 times over 17 days. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Juri] A man in his 20s, identified as A, was sentenced to prison for calling or sending text and KakaoTalk messages 138 times to his ex-girlfriend. He also committed the crime of stalking by calling A’s mother and telling her to "take good care of your daughter."
The Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch (Criminal Division 1, Judge Gong Mina) announced on the 3rd that A (26), who was indicted for violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, was sentenced to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation. He was also ordered to undergo probation and complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program.
A was prosecuted for stalking B, his ex-girlfriend, by calling or sending text and KakaoTalk messages 138 times over 17 days from 5:48 p.m. on December 6 to 5 p.m. on December 22 last year, after dating for three months.
When he could not reach B, on December 22 at around 5:43 p.m., he called B’s mother, C, telling her to "take good care of your daughter," and stalked her three times, including visiting C’s workplace to deliver a letter, which was also included in the indictment.
Subsequently, on December 26, A was notified by the police of a temporary restraining order prohibiting access via telecommunications such as mobile phone and email.
Despite this, A sent a lengthy KakaoTalk message to B saying, "I’m sorry for making things difficult because I was suspicious and obsessive. I also feel like you have no intention of withdrawing the complaint," thereby violating the temporary restraining order.
Judge Gong stated, "Considering the specific content, methods, and frequency of the stalking acts, it is clear that the victims felt considerable anxiety and fear," and added, "The defendant violated the court-ordered temporary restraining order despite the prohibition, showing poor criminal attitude and seriousness."
He continued, "However, since the defendant is a first-time offender with no prior criminal record, has admitted to the crime, and pledged not to reoffend, these circumstances and various sentencing factors presented during the trial were taken into account," explaining the reasoning behind the sentence.
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