"Pretty," then strokes the hair
Child's mother "Must ask before touching" angrily
Lawyer "Possible to establish forced molestation charge"
A woman was scolded by a child's parents after she patted the head of a child she did not know.
JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' reported on the 19th about a story where a couple in their 50s clashed with a child's mother. According to the report, the informant, Mr. A, recently encountered two girls while leaving a restaurant after having lunch with his husband. He said to the child, "You're pretty," and patted her head, but the child's mother, who was following behind, suddenly shouted, "What are you doing right now?" in anger.
Flustered, Mr. A apologized, saying, "I patted her because she was pretty," and "I'm sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable." Then, Mr. A's husband, who was beside him, argued, "We just thought the kids were pretty, so why get angry?" The child's mother replied, "It's right to ask before touching," and left with the children. Later, Mr. and Mrs. A shared this incident with their children during the Chuseok holiday. However, their children responded similarly. They said, "Young people these days are like that," and advised the couple, "Even if they look pretty, don't act familiar with children from now on." In response, Mr. A told 'Sageon Banjang,' "I didn't mean to cause harm, but people these days really lack affection," and lamented, "Is it really wrong to pat a child's head because they're cute?"
Attorney Park Ji-hoon explained, "The world has changed a lot, so you shouldn't judge by your own standards," and added, "It could be considered sexual harassment." Professor Oh Yoon-sung also agreed, saying, "Although it was done with good intentions, if the other party feels uncomfortable, it is a part that needs to be cautious about." Lastly, Attorney Yang Ji-yeol added, "While the feeling of regret is understandable, the child's mother is in a situation where she must teach her child, 'If a stranger touches you, you must tell your mother or ask people around you for help.'"
Netizens who read the story also shared various opinions. One netizen commented, "Unless the person looks suspicious, I don't see why a couple in their 50s showing affection to a child should be met with such anger." However, others responded, "Maybe it was okay in the past, but not these days. If it's not your own child, it's better to just look and think 'pretty' without acting familiar," and "In a world where you can't even touch dogs carelessly, it should be even more so with children."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
