'School Me Too' Former Yonghwa Girls' High School Teacher Sentenced to 1 Year and 6 Months in Prison on Appeal

[Asia Economy Reporters Seongpil Cho, Daehyun Kim] A former teacher who was charged with forcibly molesting female students at Yonghwa Girls' High School in Nowon-gu, Seoul, which sparked the school sexual violence reporting movement known as 'School Me Too,' was sentenced to prison again in the appellate court.

The Criminal Division 10 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Jaehee Lee) on the 15th sentenced Mr. Joo, who was tried for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (forcible molestation), to 1 year and 6 months in prison, the same as the first trial, and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program. The court stated, "The victims have consistently and specifically testified about the damage from the investigation agencies to this court," and pointed out, "Considering the defendant's method and circumstances of the crime, the nature of the offense is serious." It added, "Although the victims suffered significant psychological harm due to the defendant's actions, the defendant has not admitted this up to this trial," and concluded, "The sentencing in the first trial cannot be seen as excessively harsh or lenient."

Earlier, Mr. Joo was prosecuted on charges of forcibly touching parts of the bodies of five students from March 2011 to September of the following year in classrooms and the student guidance office at the school. Mr. Joo claimed innocence, arguing there was no intent to molest, but the first trial rejected this and sentenced him to prison. This case became known after graduates of Yonghwa Girls' High School formed the 'Sexual Violence Eradication Committee' in March 2018 and revealed the victimization. This served as a catalyst for over 100 schools nationwide to join the School Me Too movement.

Meanwhile, Mr. Joo is currently pursuing an administrative lawsuit against the Teacher Appeal Committee separately from this case. Yonghwa Girls' High School dismissed Mr. Joo following the School Me Too movement. After his request to the Teacher Appeal Committee to cancel the disciplinary action was dismissed, he filed a lawsuit. Having lost in the first trial, he submitted an appeal and is awaiting the second trial. The first appellate hearing is scheduled for the 25th of next month, presided over by the Administrative Division 6-3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Seongwook Hong).

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