A Man in His 20s Accused of Sexual Crime After Using Restroom... Cleared After False Report Confession

"Mental Health Treatment Received... Glad to Be Cleared of False Accusations"

The police investigation into a man in his 20s who was falsely accused of a sex crime after using the restroom next to a gym is expected to be closed with no charges.

On the 28th, the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station in Gyeonggi announced that they have decided to dismiss the case against Mr. A, who was under investigation for forced molestation, and cancel his booking.

Mr. A shared the news of the case being closed without charges on the YouTube channel 'Eokulhan Namja' (Innocent Man), saying, "I am indescribably happy." He added, "Since the incident occurred, I have barely been able to sleep, lost my appetite, felt my heart tightening, and had difficulty breathing?it felt like I was going crazy. I could no longer endure it and even visited a psychiatrist today, and then I received this news from the police."

Earlier, on the 23rd at around 5:10 p.m., Mr. A was accused of voyeurism and sexual misconduct for allegedly watching a woman in her 50s, Ms. B, while she was using the restroom in the women's bathroom inside the management office building next to the gym in an apartment complex in Hwaseong City. Ms. B, who claimed to be the victim, reported the incident to 112 at 5:34 p.m. that day.

A view of the women's restroom at a subway station in Seoul. Photo unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

Two officers from the Women and Youth Division of the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station responded to the case and arrived at the scene the next morning on the 24th to review CCTV footage from the management office building. They then visited Mr. A to ask if he had used the restroom in the management office building the previous day and informed him of the report. Mr. A admitted to using the restroom but denied entering the women's restroom. However, the police insisted, "There is CCTV footage." During this process, controversy arose as the police reportedly spoke to Mr. A in a disrespectful manner, asking, "Are you a student? A soldier?" and "How old are you now?"

On the same day, Mr. A visited the Women and Youth Division of the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station in the afternoon to inquire about the case status and investigation progress. However, the officers on duty reportedly responded uncooperatively, saying things like, "I am not the person in charge." Additionally, it was understood that they told Mr. A, "If you have nothing to hide, just stay quiet."

The story spread through online communities, and netizens criticized the police, saying things like, "You shouldn't try to make an innocent young man a criminal," "Where is the presumption of innocence?" and "Becoming a criminal can happen in an instant." As the controversy grew, the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station posted on their website, "We will conduct a strict investigation based on objective evidence so that no one is wronged," but the public criticism did not subside.

[Image source=Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station website]

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the 27th, Ms. B suddenly visited the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station and confessed to making a false report. She revealed, "I am taking medication prescribed by a hospital, and when I take a large amount, I sometimes say things that are not true."

To verify the credibility of Ms. B's statement, the police deployed three profilers from the Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency to evaluate the victim's testimony. The profilers concluded that Ms. B's report was "reasonably considered to be fabricated and did not actually happen," but also determined that the report was unrelated to her psychiatric symptoms.

The police plan to cancel the booking of Mr. A and are reviewing whether to book Ms. B on charges of false accusation. They are also conducting an internal investigation into the officers who behaved inappropriately toward Mr. A and plan to take appropriate disciplinary action. A police official stated, "We deeply apologize for the inappropriate behavior of the officers toward Mr. A, who was the subject of the report."