A man in his 20s who assaulted and attempted to sexually assault a woman in an elevator receives a heavy sentence in the second trial

8-Year Prison Sentence Upheld in Appeal Following First Trial

A man in his 20s who assaulted a female neighbor in an elevator and attempted a sexual crime was sentenced to eight years in prison in the second trial as well.

The Criminal Division 2-1 of the Suwon High Court (Presiding Judges Kim Min-ki, Kim Jong-woo, Park Kwang-seo) announced on the 3rd that in the appeal trial of A, a man in his 20s charged with rape and injury, the same sentence of eight years in prison as the original trial was handed down.

Suwon District Court, Suwon High Court exterior view
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The court explained the sentencing by stating, "There has been no change in the sentencing conditions compared to the first trial, and the original sentence is recognized as having been decided after considering various circumstances evenly."

A is accused of repeatedly punching a woman in her 20s, B, causing injury, and then attempting to sexually assault her in the elevator of a corridor-style apartment in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi Province, at around 12:10 p.m. on July 5 last year.

A was caught by the police following a report from another resident who heard B’s screams during the attempted sexual assault, and was subsequently arrested and prosecuted. Due to A’s assault, B suffered injuries including fractured ribs, requiring three weeks of medical treatment.

The first trial court stated, "The defendant planned the crime several days in advance and executed it, causing enormous mental and physical harm to the victim, resulting in a significant disruption to the daily lives of the victim and her family," and ruled, "It is difficult to consider the defendant to have been in a state of diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime as claimed, and there are no mitigating circumstances," sentencing him to eight years in prison.