Press Conference Urging Truth Investigation for Sexual Violence Victim Middle School Student in Yeonggwang

The lawyer representing the bereaved families of the victims in Yeonggwang and civic groups held a press conference to urge a thorough investigation.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Amid nationwide shock over the case of a middle school student who died after experiencing sexual violence at a dormitory of an alternative school in Yeonggwang, the victim's family lawyer and the civic group Women’s Hotline held a press conference on the 30th, urging a thorough investigation.

Kim Kyung-eun, the lawyer representing the bereaved family, held a press conference at the Jeonnam Provincial Council press room on the same day, demanding a thorough fact-finding and the establishment of countermeasures regarding the case of Kim, who died after experiencing sexual violence.

Lawyer Kim stated, “Despite more than 220,000 people agreeing to the Blue House national petition, a thorough fact-finding and measures to prevent recurrence have not yet been established,” adding, “The victim promptly informed their parents and the school about the abuse before death. Nevertheless, the bereaved family cannot contain their grief as the extreme outcome could not be prevented.”

She continued, “What the victim’s family demands is a thorough fact-finding, legal responsibility of the perpetrators and those in charge of management, and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.”

Lawyer Kim asserted, “At the time, the victim repeatedly expressed refusal, but the perpetrators did not stop,” and added, “The student, who was attending school for the first time, suffered extreme stress in a blind spot where they were not protected from the perpetrators, and since students from other rooms also entered the victim’s room and repeated the acts, it is evident that the school bears management responsibility.”

She further stated, “In cases of school sexual violence, urgent separation measures between the perpetrator and the victim must be taken, but the school only took measures 2 (temporary protection) and 5 (special education) on the 22nd of last month after multiple protests from the victim’s parents. No urgent priority measures for the victim student were taken at all.”

She explained, “Accordingly, Kim’s parents filed a complaint with the Jeonnam Office of Education on the 25th of last month, and only then were they notified that ‘the perpetrators would receive special education at home.’ However, the school did not take measure 6, citing uncertainty about whether sexual violence had occurred.”

The bereaved family strongly refuted the perpetrators’ claim that “it was a playful atmosphere,” emphasizing that the deceased Kim clearly expressed refusal.

The family stated, “As the harassment continued to the point where the child could not sleep more than five hours a day, the child asked to buy earplugs and an eye mask,” adding, “However, the perpetrators even took away the eye mask and earplugs,” and “The school violence committee is postponing disciplinary action simply because the victim’s and perpetrators’ statements differ. We demand that the perpetrators be strictly punished by law.”

They also urged, “There are suspicions that sexual violence between same-sex students occurred at this school last year as well,” and called on the Office of Education to “conduct a thorough fact-finding and carry out legal punishment and disciplinary action against the school officials responsible.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.