4 Women in Their 20s Sexually Assaulted by 4 Men
1 Commits Suicide... 2 Sentenced to 7-8 Years in First Trial
A man in his 50s, one of the perpetrators who sexually assaulted a woman with an intellectual disability after she contacted him in response to a job advertisement, was sentenced to prison.
According to the legal community on the 4th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Wonju Branch of Chuncheon District Court (Chief Judge Lee Su-woong) sentenced A (52) to seven years in prison on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (quasi-rape of a disabled person). He was also ordered to undergo a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and was banned from employment at institutions related to children, adolescents, and disabled persons for five years each.
A, who runs a motel in Wonju, Gangwon Province, was brought to trial on charges of sexually assaulting B, a woman in her 20s with an intellectual disability, whom he met near the bus terminal after she contacted him in response to a motel job advertisement on the morning of December 3 last year, and then took her to the motel under the pretense of helping her get hired.
During the trial, A claimed, "It is true that I entered the motel room with B to help her job search activities, but I did not have sexual intercourse, and I was not aware that the victim had an intellectual disability."
However, the court did not accept A’s claims. Based on properly obtained and examined evidence, the court found B’s testimony to be highly credible in key parts and sufficiently recognized that A took advantage of B’s intellectual disability and her inability to resist to commit sexual assault. The court also noted that there was no reason to bring the victim into a motel room under the pretense of helping with job search activities, especially since A operated a motel himself but took her to a different motel, which clearly indicated an intent to sexually assault the victim.
The court stated, "Considering that the crime was committed knowing the victim had an intellectual disability and under the pretext of an interview, the culpability is heavy and the nature of the crime is serious." It added, "Instead of showing remorse, A tried to evade responsibility by pointing out limitations in the victim’s testimony, which was taken into account during sentencing."
Both A and the prosecution appealed the first trial verdict, and the second trial is currently underway at the Chuncheon Branch of the Seoul High Court.
The investigation began when a convenience store clerk near victim B’s home reported to the police after hearing B say she was buying a pregnancy test because she had been sexually assaulted. As the investigation proceeded, the case became known as the "sexual assault case of a woman in her 20s with an intellectual disability" that shocked the mountain village. Four men, including A, were identified as perpetrators.
Among them, a bakery owner in his 50s who was also indicted in custody received an eight-year prison sentence in the first trial, and the second trial is ongoing at the Chuncheon Branch of the Seoul High Court. One other person indicted without detention is undergoing a first trial at the Gangneung Branch. The remaining individual died by suicide this spring, ending the investigation.
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