Prosecutors: "Lost a life irreplaceable by anything... Family's daily life shattered"
Choi Yoon-jong: "Apologies to the bereaved, praying for the victim's peace" final statement
The prosecution has again sought the death penalty in the second trial against Choi Yoon-jong (30), who is accused of indiscriminately assaulting and killing a woman with the intent to sexually assault her on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul.
Choi Yoon-jong, accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, is being transferred from the Seoul Gwanak Police Station to the prosecution. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
At the sentencing hearing of the appeal trial for Choi’s case on charges of violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (rape and murder) held on the 24th before the Criminal Division 14-3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Lim Jong-hyo, Park Hye-sun, Oh Young-sang), the prosecution requested the court, saying, "There is no room for leniency or sympathy," and asked, "Please sentence him to death as in the first trial’s sentencing."
The prosecution pointed out, "Due to Choi Yoon-jong’s crime, the victim lost a life that cannot be exchanged for anything, and the ordinary daily lives of the bereaved families have been completely shattered. Nevertheless, Choi Yoon-jong has made no effort to restore the damage and is instead only trying to receive a lighter punishment."
In his final statement, Choi said, "I am very sorry to the bereaved family and pray for the victim’s repose."
Choi’s defense attorney argued in the final defense, "I have had many conversations with Choi Yoon-jong, and he repeatedly states that there was no definite intent to kill," and claimed, "The prosecution says Choi planned the murder, but he planned a sexual crime, not murder." The second trial verdict for Choi will be delivered on June 12.
Choi was prosecuted on charges of indiscriminately assaulting the victim with a fist wearing a metal knuckle and strangling her for about three minutes to death on the Mokgolsan hiking trail in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on the morning of August 17 last year.
Earlier, the first trial court pointed out, "The victim, who did nothing wrong, lost her life and there is no way to restore the damage, and the bereaved family has suffered pain that cannot be healed."
However, the court explained the sentencing rationale, saying, "Rather than depriving life itself, by imposing a life sentence that permanently isolates him from society and deprives him of his freedom, the possibility of reoffending can be blocked, and during the imprisonment period, he should sincerely apologize to the victim and the bereaved family who lost a precious life due to this crime and have time to repent his wrongdoing."
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