"Young Sister Beaten to Death by 7 People"... Appeals Continue in Pohang Middle School Girl Assault Case

Petition Regarding the Assault Incident Involving a Female Middle School Student in Pohang. Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Website Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A national petition has been raised demanding punishment for the perpetrators and legal reform in connection with the so-called 'Pohang Middle School Girl Group Assault Case.'

On the 20th, the Pohang Branch of Daegu District Court issued an arrest warrant for a man in his early 20s, Mr. A, on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Offenses. Additionally, arrest warrants were issued for a man in his early 20s, Mr. B, and three middle school girls on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts.

Investigations revealed that Mr. A instructed the middle school girls he knew to find a female student for a conditional meeting. Consequently, on the 28th of last month, the three middle school girls threatened a peer, Ms. C, to demand a conditional meeting. Ms. C refused and reported the incident to the police, but the girls allegedly retaliated by collectively assaulting her.

Following this, a petition posted by Ms. C’s older brother gained attention belatedly. On the 17th, a petition titled "The future of my 15-year-old sister has been destroyed due to conditional meeting coercion and group assault by juvenile offenders and minor perpetrators" was posted on the Blue House National Petition website.

The petitioner began, "Have you heard about the 'Pohang Middle School Girl Group Assault Case' from May 2021?" He then revealed that he is Ms. C’s older brother, stating, "Whenever I face this reality as my family’s matter, I am horrified by the evil in people and my heart aches for the future my sister must bear."

The petitioner explained, "On April 28, friends of the perpetrators coerced my sister into a conditional meeting," and added, "(My sister) refused and silently asked the convenience store owner for help with her mouth." He continued, "She reported to the police, but afterward, the perpetrator middle school girls threatened that they would not leave her alone if she disclosed this to others."

Furthermore, the petitioner claimed, "(On the 7th at around 10 p.m.) my sister received a call from a friend of the perpetrators to come to Yeongildae Beach, and on the rooftop of a building, she was forced to stand while the group assault began as retaliation for the report." He added, "This scene was broadcast live and recorded videos were distributed in real-time to their peers."

The petitioner appealed, "A young girl was beaten to death by seven people. If we had only wasted time without finding her through the report, (my sister) would have truly died." He also stated, "The perpetrators feel no remorse for their actions," and "My sister’s entire body is injured." He mentioned, "I feel that the age at which increasingly severe crimes and problems appear is getting younger."

He raised his voice, saying, "Victims become powerless before the law and system, so realistic protection and measures are necessary." He appealed, "Please join us so that the perpetrators receive strict punishment, so this does not end as just a small passing incident, and so that a realistic protection system for children’s stable lives can be established."

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