Warning: mentions of sexual assault
Taeil has received his prison sentence following his first hearing.
Earlier on June 18, the prosecution requested a seven-year prison sentence for each defendant at the first hearing against Taeil and his co-defendants, Mr. Lee and Mr. Hong, on the suspicion of aggravated quasi-rape.
On July 10, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 26 sentenced Taeil and two other defendants to three years and six months in prison for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (Aggravated Quasi-Rape). The court also ordered them to complete 40 hours of sexual violence education and imposed a five-year employment restriction at institutions involving children or adolescents.
The court stated, “The defendants admitted to the crime, and based on the evidence, they are found guilty. The victim was in a state of helplessness due to intoxication, and the crime was committed at Mr. Lee’s residence. The foreign tourist is experiencing significant psychological trauma as she was assaulted in an unfamiliar place. However, the court considered the fact that the defendants were first-time offenders and that the victim did not wish to pursue punishment as favorable factors.”
Taeil’s legal representative previously requested leniency on the grounds that Taeil submitted a written confession to the authorities. However, the court rejected this, stating, “Since the confession came after the search and seizure of the defendant, it cannot be considered voluntary surrender and thus does not warrant sentence reduction.”
When the judge asked whether the defendants had any comments regarding the arrest, Taeil did not speak.
The charges stem from an incident in June of last year, when Taeil and his accomplices allegedly sexually assaulted an intoxicated foreign woman while she was in a state of unconsciousness. Taeil initially stood trial without being detained. However, he was taken into custody after the sentencing.
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