"16-Year-Old Niece, Victim of Coach's Sexual Assault, Pleads for Support to Keep Fighting"…Appeal from Family of National Jump Rope Representative

A petition titled "Please help my 16-year-old young nephew not to give up on life" posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 7th. Photo by Blue House Petition Board capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] A 16-year-old national jump rope athlete reported being sexually assaulted by her coach for over a year, prompting the police to launch an investigation. Meanwhile, the athlete's family is demanding strict punishment for the perpetrator.

On the 7th, a petition titled "Please help my 16-year-old young niece not to give up on life" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner, who identified herself as the athlete's aunt, said, "When I heard that my niece was trying to give up on life after being sexually assaulted by a 26-year-old coach, I couldn't believe it."

She added, "When my niece said, 'I shouldn't have told anyone, it's all my fault,' all I could say was, 'It's okay, everything will be fine,'" and lamented, "Nothing got better amid the prolonged truth-finding process and the coach's unconditional denial."

She continued, "My niece has been skipping rope for 10 years since she was 7 years old, focusing solely on becoming a national representative. The coach abused his power and sexually assaulted her continuously for a year, threatening that if she told her parents, she wouldn't be allowed to skip rope," she said.

The petitioner appealed, "The child has already been physically and mentally devastated by all kinds of threats and harassment," and added, "What worries me more is that under the coach's denials and threats, the child is gradually trying to let go of her will to live. Please help us make it clear to this arrogant sexual offender that if you commit a crime, you must pay the price."

On the 2nd, the Uijeongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that a report had been filed alleging that a middle school national jump rope athlete was sexually assaulted by her coach for over a year.

According to the police, Coach A had B stay at his house under the pretext of training camp, and a few months after the camp started, he sexually assaulted B. A persistently demanded sexual relations from B and verbally abused her when she refused. He also demanded sexual relations during training sessions.

In her handwritten statement, B wrote, "A kept demanding sexual relations during training, saying 'Let's do it.' If I didn't agree, he kept asking until the training ended. He didn't care about time or place."

She added, "I tried refusing by saying 'It hurts, I don't want to,' but he forced me, saying 'It's okay, let's do it.' If I didn't comply, he used harsh and hurtful language."

B's parents reportedly learned about the sexual assault in August.

The police have so far conducted interviews with B and investigated A's residence and other locations, and plan to summon A for questioning soon. They are also investigating whether there are additional victims.

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