Eight Years in Prison Upheld on Appeal, No Electronic Monitoring Ordered
Criticism Mounts Over “Excessively Lenient Punishment”
Nana, Recently Victimized in Robbery, Raises Sentencing Concerns Amid Successive Incidents
From Self-Defense Controversy to Sexual Assault Verdicts... Debate Grows Over Criminal Sentencing Standards
Singer and actress Nana, who recently drew attention after being the victim of a robbery, has strongly criticized the court’s sentencing in a child sexual abuse case.
On December 6, Nana posted a screenshot of related news coverage on her social media, writing, “Eight years in prison? I’m furious. Is this for real?” The post explained that a man in his 60s who raped a nine-year-old girl was sentenced to eight years in prison on appeal, and that the request for electronic monitoring was denied.
Nana took issue with what she sees as excessively lenient punishment for sex crimes against children. Some observers have noted that her remarks carry extra weight because she herself was recently the victim of a violent crime.
Singer and actress Nana (left) criticizing the verdict on a child sexual abuse case. Screenshot from Nana's Instagram
On the morning of November 15, a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, used a ladder to climb onto the balcony of Nana’s home in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, and broke in. Armed with a weapon, Mr. A entered and assaulted Nana’s mother by choking her. Nana and her mother managed to overpower Mr. A after a struggle and reported him to the police. During the altercation, Mr. A sustained a laceration to his jaw and was taken to the hospital.
Immediately after the incident, some raised concerns that Nana and her mother’s response might constitute excessive self-defense. However, after an investigation, the police concluded, “There was a real and substantial threat to the victims, and there is no evidence that the suspect suffered serious injury,” determining that their actions fell under legitimate self-defense and deciding not to press charges. Online, many commented that “it is absurd to even question self-defense in a situation where someone breaks into your home and tries to choke you.”
Under South Korean criminal law, a reasonable level of response to an ‘ongoing unlawful infringement’ is recognized as legitimate self-defense. However, in real cases, factors such as whether the response was excessive or whether escape was possible are often considered, leading to recurring debates. There have also been cases where changing social perceptions have led to different judgments, such as the 1964 case in which Ms. Choi Malja’s resistance to sexual assault was only recognized as self-defense decades later in a retrial.
Against this backdrop, Nana’s public criticism of the sexual assault verdict is drawing attention as it aligns with growing calls to reexamine the standards for criminal sentencing in society.
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