Took Tens of Millions of Won from Parents and Assaulted Students
Gwangju District Court: "No Remediation for Victims"... Taken Into Custody in Court
The coach of an elementary school baseball team in Gwangju, who was indicted on charges of abusing his student athletes after receiving tens of millions of won from their parents, has been sentenced to a prison term and taken into custody in court.
On September 25, Kim Yongshin, the presiding judge of the 8th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court, sentenced Mr. A (51), who was indicted on charges of breach of trust by receiving bribes, violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and violation of the Child Welfare Act, to one year and six months in prison and ordered the forfeiture of 58.95 million won. The court also imposed a five-year employment restriction at child-related institutions and ordered Mr. A to complete 80 hours of a child abuse treatment program.
Mr. A was accused of receiving a total of approximately 80 million won from the parents of about 10 players between 2020 and 2021 in exchange for guaranteeing their participation in games and facilitating their advancement to higher schools. He was also charged with assaulting his elementary school students with a bat and other objects during training.
Judge Kim stated the reasons for sentencing, saying, "It is difficult to accept the defendant's claim that the money was distributed to coaches. The harm suffered by the students has not been remedied."
In his final statement, Mr. A pleaded for leniency, saying, "I will live diligently when I return to society," but the court sentenced him to prison and issued a detention warrant due to concerns about the risk of flight.
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