Parents' Evidence of Innocence Found via Academy Nearby CCTV Ignored
The story of a high school student who was falsely accused of committing an obscene act on the street has been revealed. The police accused a high school student with a completely different appearance from the culprit.
On the 5th, JTBC's current affairs program 'Sageon Banjang' covered a story titled 'My high school son was wrongfully accused as a suspect of public indecency overnight.' The incident began last August in Jung-gu, Ulsan. Around 9:30 PM on August 3rd, a man was witnessed by a citizen performing an obscene act on the street while removing his lower garments.
The police identified a minor, A, as the perpetrator of this obscene act. A, who was a second-year high school student at the time, was attending a class at an academy when he received a call from the police saying, "Did you commit an obscene act on the street on August 3rd? Come for an investigation with your parents."
The decisive testimony was from the victim, who stated that A, leaving a convenience store near the crime scene at around 9:44 PM on the day of the incident, was dressed the same as the perpetrator. The police relied solely on this testimony to identify A as the culprit. A was investigated for public indecency.
A’s parents explained, "Our son was attending a class at the academy at the time of the incident," but the police did not listen. Instead, they said, "I've been investigating for over 30 years; this is nothing serious. The kid might be stressed, so try to persuade him well," pressuring him to confess.
A’s parents gathered direct evidence such as CCTV footage from the moment A left the academy until he arrived home. In addition, the academy instructor and friends testified that "A attended class until 9:30 PM." They submitted the evidence video to the police to clear their son's name, but the officer in charge reportedly responded, "Why should I watch that?" according to A’s parents.
At the time, A’s parents said, "Our son is 167 cm tall and weighs 56 kg, relatively small. The witness initially reported to the police that the perpetrator was about 175 cm tall and looked like a man in his 20s," adding, "The shoes, socks, and shorts were all different. Our son's bag was gray, but the perpetrator's bag was black. Our son was not wearing a mask, but the perpetrator was," expressing their frustration. However, the police responded, "A is quite meticulous, isn't he?"
Eventually, the case was sent to the prosecution, which cleared A of charges. The prosecution judged that A’s appearance was different from the actual culprit’s. Also, the fact that CCTV confirmed A leaving the academy around 9:36 PM was a significant factor.
A’s parents said, "We lived through hell for three months, and this year our son is a senior in high school, but rumors have spread in the neighborhood." The production team of Sageon Banjang tried to contact the officer in charge to ask why he was so certain, but they only received a reply that he was currently on a business trip and it was unknown when he would return.
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