'Razor Blade → Spear Knife → Nail Clipper' Changing Weapons... Forced False Confession Leads to Imprisonment Instead of Lee Chun-jae

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Announces Findings on 'Lee Chun-jae Serial Murder Case'
Serious Human Rights Violations Found Against 7 People Including Yoon Sung-yeo
"State Must Apologize to Victims and Take Measures for Restitution"

In December 2020, at the Suwon District Court in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Yoon Seong-yeo, the petitioner for retrial in the 8th case of the Lee Chun-jae serial murders, was acquitted and is seen leaving the courthouse while sharing his thoughts. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] 'The murder weapon was a nail clipper.' In October 1986, a woman was found dead in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. She was naked and showed signs of sexual assault. The police arrested suspect Mr. A.

Mr. A confessed to the crime. However, after writing several letters of remorse and confessions, it was revealed that these were false confessions fabricated by the police. According to records, Mr. A initially said the weapon was a razor blade, then later changed it to a spear. He also stated that he had thrown the spear into a stream.

The police began searching the stream as per Mr. A's statement. However, instead of a spear, a nail clipper was found in the stream. Subsequently, the content of the confession was changed again. Due to the police's forced investigation, Mr. A ended up imprisoned as a criminal who killed the woman with a 7cm-long nail clipper, neither a razor blade nor a spear.

The nail clipper, the crime tool stated by suspect A, who was mistakenly detained in 1986. He initially said the crime tool was a razor, then changed his statement to a dagger, and finally to a nail clipper. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission revealed that false confessions were induced by fitting the seized items. /Source=Truth and Reconciliation Commission

On the 9th, the 2nd Past Affairs Settlement Committee for Truth and Reconciliation (Truth and Reconciliation Committee) announced the results of the truth investigation into the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case. The committee revealed that seven applicants, including Yoon Sung-yeo, were wrongfully identified as suspects and imprisoned.

Mr. Yoon was wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years. A farm machinery repairman, he was falsely accused in 1988 as the criminal in the case of Lee Chun-jae sexually assaulting and murdering a 14-year-old minor. He then endured severe torture. He was tied to a chair and hung upside down, and despite having a disabled leg, was forced to do squats.

Other victims were also tortured during the investigation process. They suffered from sleep deprivation, forced sitting and standing, slaps, threats, and verbal abuse. Most of them were socially marginalized individuals such as people with disabilities, minors, divorced singles, and ex-convicts. The police routinely followed and monitored even those who were cleared of charges, effectively stigmatizing them socially. Among the suspects in the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case, four people committed suicide.

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee stated, "At that time, suspects were coerced into confessions under a pressured atmosphere without clear evidence, simply because they were ex-convicts, widowers, delinquents, or singles," and "officially confirmed that the state violated significant human rights through illegal public authority."

The committee recommended that the state issue an official apology to the applicants and victims. Furthermore, it stated that measures should be taken to restore their damages and honor.