Air Force Sexual Assault Again... "Colonel's Attempted Rape of Second Lieutenant and Subsequent Secondary Harm"

Air Force "Best Efforts to Protect Victims... Actively Cooperating with Investigation"

Three years after the late Sergeant Lee Yeram, a victim of military sexual violence, tragically passed away after suffering secondary victimization, allegations have emerged that another sexual violence incident has occurred within the Air Force.

According to a Yonhap News report on the 31st, the Military Sexual Violence Counseling Center affiliated with the Military Human Rights Center held a press conference at their office in Mapo-gu, Seoul, announcing that an attempted rape and forced molestation incident involving a female junior officer at the Air Force's 17th Fighter Wing and her direct superior, the regiment commander (colonel), had occurred.

The counseling center explained that the day before, the center received a request from the legal representative of the victim, Officer A, for victim support, protection, and cessation of secondary victimization, and conducted a face-to-face counseling session with A, confirming these facts. According to the counseling center, Colonel B, A’s superior, was reassigned to another unit after the victim reported the incident.

On the 31st, Kim Sook-kyung, head of the Military Sexual Violence Counseling Center (left), and Lim Tae-hoon, director of the Center for Military Human Rights, are holding a press conference at the Center for Military Human Rights office in Mapo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to A’s statement, Colonel B forcibly molested her after a company dinner in August. A had been trying to avoid such dinners, but was sexually assaulted during the dinner on the 24th. When B pressured her to "go for a second round," A sent text messages to the officers present at the first dinner asking for help. B used physical force on the victim, who was trying to return to her quarters, and attempted to rape her. Additionally, B reportedly demanded bribes.

The counseling center stated that B conducted a "leading interrogation" by recording the officers who attended the dinner, suggesting that A was intoxicated and seducing him, and A learned about this secondary victimization through the officers pressured by B.

Im Tae-hoon, director of the Military Human Rights Center, demanded, "To immediately stop the ongoing secondary harm and contamination of testimony, the police must promptly launch an investigation and detain the perpetrator." He added, "It is also problematic that the organization neglected the situation, allowing secondary victimization to occur," and insisted that the wing commander, who commands the unit, and the Air Force Headquarters Inspection Department should face severe disciplinary action.

According to the counseling center, A’s legal representative filed a complaint with the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters the day before regarding the suspicion that B demanded bribes. Furthermore, the counseling center filed a criminal complaint against B with the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters on the same day, charging him with forced molestation and attempted rape causing injury against a military personnel.

An Air Force official stated, "Upon recognizing the incident, we immediately separated the victim and the perpetrator and have assisted the victim in reporting to civilian police." The official added, "The unit is doing its utmost to prevent secondary harm and support victim counseling, and will actively cooperate with the civilian police investigation into the incident."