Men Who Forced Prostitution and Committed Group Assault on Pohang Middle School Girls... All Sentenced to Prison

4 Female Middle School Students Involved in 'Group Assault' Referred to Juvenile Court Division

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Yeeun] Five men who forced a middle school girl into prostitution and collectively assaulted her in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, have been sentenced to prison. Four middle school girls who participated in some of the crimes were referred to the juvenile division of the court.

On the 24th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Pohang Branch of Daegu District Court (Chief Judge Kwon Sunhyang) sentenced A (21) to 7 years in prison, and B (20) and C (19) to 6 years each, among the five men indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (retaliatory injury, joint injury, unlawful confinement, etc.) and the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (coercion, etc.). D (18) and E (18) were each sentenced to 4 years and 3 years in prison, respectively.

Additionally, the court ordered all five male defendants to complete 80 hours of sexual violence treatment lectures and imposed a 7-year employment restriction at child-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled. A, B, and C were also ordered to have their personal information disclosed.

Four peer middle school girls who collectively assaulted the victim, claiming they reported the arranged meetings with the men to the police, were classified as juvenile offenders (aged 10?14) and referred to the juvenile division of Daegu Family Court. The juvenile division typically places offenders under guardianship or sends them to juvenile detention centers instead of criminal punishment.

Earlier, A and others forced middle school girls into arranged meetings (prostitution) to cover motorcycle repair and entertainment expenses in May, and instructed acquainted middle school girls to find others for prostitution. A is also known to have sexually assaulted or molested several children and juveniles, and shared the profits after forcing them into prostitution.

The court stated, "The male defendants admitted to the crimes and expressed remorse, but the victim suffered significant mental and physical harm due to prolonged confinement and assault. Crimes involving the mediation of child and juvenile prostitution are never light and require severe punishment."

It added, "The female defendants admitted all charges, and although the injuries from confinement and assault are serious and their culpability is not light, considering they are under 14 years old and the coercion into prostitution was under instruction, this was taken into account."

Meanwhile, the middle school girl’s father said, "The sentences seem too lenient. Especially for those sent to juvenile detention centers, their sentences will likely be reduced. Who will take responsibility for the wounds my daughter suffered? We have yet to receive a sincere apology from the perpetrators. I will await the court’s wise decision to ensure such incidents never happen again."

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