Police Investigate Student for Joint Assault Charges
Accused Student States, "It Was Because They Talked Behind My Back"
In Cheonan, Chungnam, an incident occurred where more than 20 elementary and middle school students collectively assaulted two female students of the same age group, sparking public outrage online.
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On the 31st, the Cheonan Dongnam Police Station in Chungnam announced that they are investigating over 20 elementary and middle school students involved in a recent group assault case in Cheonan on charges including joint assault.
They are accused of collectively assaulting A, a first-year middle school student from the Asan area, and B, a fifth-grade elementary school student from the Cheonan area, at a construction site in Seonghwang-dong, Dongnam-gu, around 4 p.m. on the 21st.
The assault lasted for about 30 minutes, and it was revealed that around 30 other students from Cheonan, who came after hearing rumors, either participated in the assault or encouraged it from the sidelines.
The students present at the scene filmed the incident on their mobile phones, thereby abetting the group assault.
The video clearly shows them grabbing A’s hair, shaking her, throwing her to the ground, kicking her head, shoulders, abdomen, and legs, and hitting her head with their hands in a merciless attack.
They shouted at each other, "Why aren’t you hitting?" creating an atmosphere of complicity, and as the violence intensified, cheers grew louder. Some of the perpetrators and victims knew each other, and one of the perpetrators reportedly told the police that he committed the crime out of anger because A had talked behind his back.
They planned the assault, lured A to Cheonan with lies, and then violently attacked both A and B, who had come along with her, according to the investigation.
The victims, including A, sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
The victims’ parents said, "When we arrived at the Cheonan Sinan Police Substation after being contacted, none of the many perpetrators were visible," and added, "We were horrified to see the scene where a terrified child, trembling with anxiety from the group assault, was made to write a statement instead of being comforted."
It is also reported that some perpetrators threatened to assault those who handed over the video footage of the assault to the victims’ side.
Netizens who watched the video expressed shock, saying, "Are they delinquent minors again?", "They seem craftier than adults trying to get away," and "I can’t believe these are the elementary school students I knew."
Meanwhile, a minority of people withheld judgment, saying, "We need to verify if the claim about talking behind someone’s back is true," and "We should also hear the perpetrators’ side."
The police are continuing their investigation into students who actively participated or were involved in the assault based on the video and other evidence. However, since most of the perpetrators are criminal minors under the age of 14 (delinquent minors), the police plan to transfer them to the juvenile division once the investigation is complete.
Previously, in Cheonan in 2022, there was also a group assault incident involving teenagers. At that time, six delinquent minors assaulted the victim multiple times with fists and a golf club, strangled the victim, and caused the victim’s death through group violence.
The police then arrested and prosecuted the perpetrators en masse in connection with the group assault resulting in injury and death.
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