30-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 10 Years in First Trial for Attempting to Sexually Assault Woman Who Rented His House

Man in his 30s Attempted to Rape Woman Preparing to Check Out
Court: "Victim Assaulted... Nature of Crime Not Good"

A man in his 30s who rented out his home through a lodging sharing platform was sentenced to prison for attempting to rape a guest.

According to Yonhap News on the 10th, the Criminal Division 11 of Uijeongbu District Court (Chief Judge Oh Chang-seop) sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 30s who was indicted in custody on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (rape and injury), to 10 years in prison. Mr. A was indicted in custody for threatening a woman in her 20s, Ms. B, with a weapon and attempting to rape her at an apartment in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, around 7 a.m. on October 29 last year.

The day before the incident, Mr. A provided one room in his residence to guest Ms. B through the lodging sharing platform for her stay. Ms. B entered the apartment believing it was a family residence, but upon realizing that Mr. A lived alone, she locked the door and stayed overnight. The next day, as Ms. B was preparing to check out, Mr. A forcibly attacked her, took out a weapon from the kitchen to threaten her, and attempted to rape her. The attempt failed as Ms. B resisted.

The court stated, "The defendant attempted to rape the victim who came as a guest to his home and assaulted her face and other areas, causing injury, which is a very serious offense," and added, "He denies the crime and shows no remorse whatsoever." The court further explained the sentencing by saying, "Although the defendant has no prior criminal record, which is a favorable factor, the victim demands strict punishment. The victim has suffered significant physical and psychological pain."