The Court Decides Not to Detain in Custody to Allow Opportunity for Settlement
Two teenagers who assaulted a security guard in his 60s, causing him to lose consciousness, and filmed the incident to spread it on social media (SNS) were sentenced to prison.
On the 16th, Yonhap News reported, "Judge Seong Jae-min of the Criminal Division 3, Namyangju Branch of Uijeongbu District Court sentenced defendant A (16), charged with injury, to 1 year in prison (long term), and defendant B (15), charged with defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, to 6 months in prison (short term)." According to the Juvenile Act, juvenile offenders under the age of 19 can be sentenced to indeterminate terms with upper and lower limits for long and short terms. If the inmate's behavior during imprisonment is good, they may be released before the long-term sentence expires after serving the short-term sentence and receiving an evaluation from correctional authorities. However, the court did not detain them in custody on this day to allow an opportunity to reach a settlement with the victim.
Defendant A is accused of knocking down security guard C and kicking his face and other areas at a commercial building in Dasan-dong, Namyangju City, around midnight on January 12, causing injuries requiring three weeks of medical treatment. Defendant B, a friend of A, was indicted for filming the incident and uploading it to SNS.
It was investigated that A assaulted C after C scolded him for causing a disturbance inside the building. The video uploaded by B showed A kicking C’s face and wildly throwing punches in an indiscriminate assault. The footage also included C collapsing to the floor and losing consciousness for about three seconds after being kicked. This video spread widely online, sparking nationwide outrage.
Initially, C stated that he did not want A to be punished, but after the video circulated by B caused a significant stir, he changed his stance and wanted both to be punished. C reportedly said, "They are like my grandchildren, and my grandchildren could get into trouble anywhere... But while I was resting at home, it appeared on the internet and caused a huge commotion. It’s embarrassing, and I wonder what good it does to live longer like this."
On this day, the court stated, "A’s crime is serious as he knocked down the victim and kicked his face." Regarding B, the court said, "The video he distributed contained detailed scenes of the assault to the extent that the victim’s family and acquaintances called to check on him, thus defamation is recognized." The court explained the sentencing by considering "the defendants’ juvenile status, absence of prior similar offenses, the extent of the victim’s injuries, and the circumstances."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
