Bereaved Family of Changwon Motel Stabbing Files 500 Million Won Damages Lawsuit Against State

In connection with the case last December in which a man in his 20s, who was under probation, killed middle school students at a motel in Changwon, Gyeongnam, and then fell from the building, the bereaved family has filed a lawsuit seeking damages against the state.

The parents who lost their son in this incident held a press conference in front of the Changwon District Court on January 23, announcing that they have filed a lawsuit seeking 500 million won in damages against the state.

The reason is that there was clear negligence in duty and a failure in the safety management system, as the foreseeable risks within the probation, police, and administrative agency cooperation and risk group management systems were not properly prevented. Therefore, under Article 2 of the State Compensation Act, the Republic of Korea is liable to compensate for the damages suffered by the deceased middle school student and the bereaved family.

The bereaved family of the victim in the Changwon motel stabbing murder case in Gyeongnam is holding a press conference to file a lawsuit seeking damages against the state. Photo by Lee Seryung

The bereaved family stated, "We want to clearly hold the police, the Ministry of Justice, and the Republic of Korea accountable," adding, "Our child died in a cold bathroom, bleeding so much, with neither mother nor father by his side. As parents, we are living through hell, feeling as if we want to tear our flesh apart every day."

They continued, "The police asked us to wait as the investigation was ongoing, but in the meantime, the victimized children were being labeled in the news and online as having committed 'gakmokchigi' (a crime involving luring sex buyers and extorting money) or engaging in compensated dating. Our deceased son entered that place only with the intention of saving and helping his friend."

Parents who lost their son in the Changwon motel stabbing incident are holding a lawsuit petition seeking 500 million won in damages against the state. Photo by Lee Seryung

The bereaved family pointed out, "Before being a murderer, Mr. A was a subject of probation management and not a first-time offender, but someone with a prior criminal record," adding, "The police and the Ministry of Justice could have known sufficiently before the murder occurred."

They also said, "If the authorities rejected the electronic anklet for Mr. A, judging that probation alone was sufficient, then probation should have been properly enforced. Do not make excuses that the system did not work properly. Who would check the address on the Sex Offender Notification E system if you don't even know where he lives? It has become an era in Korea where parents cannot even trust the Sex Offender Notification E system when raising children," they said in anger.

"Aren't the police and the Ministry of Justice state institutions meant to save and protect people?" they asked, "Why did you let our child die, and who exactly was the state protecting? Are you prepared to prevent the next victim?" they said tearfully.

The bereaved family stated, "Probation, voluntary accompaniment, system malfunction-all of these sound like nothing but excuses. We demand recognition and an apology from the state, and we will protect our child to the very end."

The bereaved family of the Changwon motel stabbing murder case is announcing their position regarding the incident. Photo by Lee Seryung

DaeRyun Law Firm, representing the bereaved family, pointed out issues such as the preceding incidents and their handling, the period and method of probation, the cooperation system among related agencies, the effectiveness of the probation system, and the lack of protection and public explanation for the victims after the incident.

The legal representative said, "Probation is a system for continuously managing where and how a person lives and what risks they may pose, but not securing a place of residence cannot be considered proper probation."

They further stated, "There appears to be gross negligence in the state's failure to properly manage a criminal who should have been thoroughly monitored. According to the definition of gross negligence-that this incident would not have occurred if only a little more care had been taken-the state is recognized as having been grossly negligent in managing the criminal. Therefore, we are claiming 500 million won in damages against the state."

Previously, on December 3 last year, at a motel in Hapseong-dong, Masan Hoewon-gu, Changwon, a man in his 20s, Mr. A, wielded a weapon at three middle school students, killing two and seriously injuring one, before falling from the motel building to his death.

After the incident, Mr. A was identified as a subject of probation, having been sentenced in 2019 to five years in prison and five years of public disclosure and notification for a sex crime against a 14-year-old minor.

However, it was found that the publicly disclosed address of Mr. A did not match his actual residence.

On the day of the crime, in the morning, Mr. A visited the residence of his girlfriend, Ms. B, also in her 20s, carrying a weapon and was voluntarily accompanied by the police on charges of special intimidation. However, as the case did not meet the requirements for being caught in the act or for emergency arrest, he was released after about two hours of questioning.

The police recognized that Mr. A was a subject of probation due to his past sex crime record, but did not notify the probation office of the police investigation, citing a lack of legal grounds.