'Biting Buttocks, Choking... Military Squad Leader Harassing Sergeant Receives Suspended Sentence'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] A squad leader who forcibly molested a sergeant by removing his underwear at Yukgyun’s parent unit was sentenced to probation.

According to the legal community on the 16th, the 12th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (Presiding Judge No Jae-ho) sentenced A (21), who was charged with forcible molestation and assault of a soldier, to six months in prison with one year of probation. He was also ordered to perform 40 hours of community service and attend sexual violence treatment lectures.

A, who was the squad leader at the time, was tried on charges of forcibly molesting his peers and junior soldiers five times from December last year to mid-January this year.

He approached his peers (sergeants) and juniors lying face down on their beds, removed their pants and underwear, and bit their buttocks.

He also assaulted them several times by playfully approaching a junior from behind, choking him with both arms, or punching his arm.

The victims felt sexual shame but reportedly could not strongly resist due to A’s position as the highest-ranking squad leader.

A denied the charges, stating, “(The forcible molestation in the indictment) is true, but it cannot be evaluated as a legally punishable act of molestation, and the physical contact occurred during playful behavior, so there was no intent.”

The court ruled, “This is an act of molestation that violates sound sexual morals and infringes on the victim’s sexual freedom,” and “Based on the evidence adopted by the court, it is reasonable to conclude that there was intent to molest.”

The court explained, “The defendant’s crime not only infringed on the personal legal interests of the victims but also undermined the sound order and culture of the military community and negatively affected military discipline, making it highly blameworthy.”

However, the court stated the sentencing rationale, “Considering that the degree of molestation was not severe, the defendant admitted his wrongdoing and apologized, and the victims submitted petitions requesting no punishment, it is more desirable to suspend the execution of the prison sentence for the time being to give him an opportunity to correct his wrongful tendencies rather than sending him to a correctional institution.”

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