A woman in her 20s who helped a woman who vomited and fell in the bathroom cleared of sexual harassment charges

Court: "Victim's statements lack consistency, and physical contact may have occurred accidentally during support"

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] A man in his 20s who was accused of sexual harassment after helping a woman who had vomited and fallen in a restaurant restroom was acquitted in the first trial and cleared of charges.

The court ruled that the victim's testimony was inconsistent and that it was difficult to recognize the intent of sexual harassment since some physical contact may have occurred accidentally during the assistance.

According to the legal community on the 8th, Chief Judge Cha Joo-hee of Criminal Division 8 at Daejeon District Court recently acquitted A, a man in his 20s, who was indicted on charges of forced sexual molestation.

Chief Judge Cha stated, "The defendant accidentally touched part of the body while helping B, and from B's perspective, there is a possibility that she misunderstood it as intentional molestation."

Last spring, A was waiting in front of the restroom at a restaurant in Daejeon to use the facilities and gave up his turn to a woman, B, who did not appear to be feeling well.

However, B entered the restroom without closing the door, vomited inside, and then sat down outside. A helped B to stand up.

But B reported to the police that "(A) touched part of her body from the front."

At the time, B told the police officers who arrived after the report, "I do not want punishment, so please leave," but about an hour later, she went to the police station herself and complained again.

Ultimately, A, who was indicted on charges of forced sexual molestation, claimed in court, "I just helped her up without any intention when she fell," expressing his innocence.

The court raised doubts about the credibility of B's testimony in the absence of evidence such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

They found it difficult to find grounds to believe that A "touched her body from the front" given B's inconsistent statements to investigative agencies and in court, as well as the circumstances such as the restroom layout.

Additionally, the court found it unnatural that B initially sent away the police who responded to her report but later went to the police station again.

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