"We Just Wanted to Hit Someone": Five Middle School Students Assault Elementary Student in Group... Ringleader Detained

"We Assaulted the Victim Because We Wanted to Hit Someone," Suspects Admit

Five middle school students have been apprehended by the police for collectively assaulting and mistreating an elementary school student.

According to Yonhap News on September 22, the police recently arrested a 14-year-old middle school girl, referred to as Student A, on charges of joint assault under the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts, and booked four other classmates, including a 14-year-old boy referred to as Student B, without detention. Student A and the others are accused of collectively assaulting and injuring the elementary school student victim on a street in Incheon at around 4 p.m. on September 8.

During the police investigation, the students reportedly stated, "We assaulted the victim because we wanted to hit someone."

Incident Shared on Social Media Immediately After

Immediately after the incident, a post titled "Incheon Elementary and Middle School Bullying Incident" along with photos was uploaded to social networking services (SNS). The author of the post wrote, "Please spread this widely-what did the victim do wrong?" and attached photos of the injured student bleeding. In another post, apparently written by the victim, it was stated, "I begged for my life, and after the police arrived, I was taken to the emergency room, where they said I might have a concussion."

The police identified the five suspects on the day of the incident after receiving a report and applied for an arrest warrant for Student A, who led the assault. On September 19, the Incheon District Court conducted a pre-arrest interrogation and issued the warrant, stating, "There are unavoidable reasons to detain the juvenile suspect, and there is a risk of flight."

The police plan to further investigate Student A and the others to clarify the details of the incident and will soon refer the case to the prosecution.