Military Prosecutors Demand 4-Year Prison Sentence for Defendant in 'Bolsseolgi Sexual Assault' Death Case

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] A warrant officer from the Air Force 8th Fighter Wing, accused in the sexual harassment and death case of female soldier Corporal A, similar to the 'Air Force Female Corporal Incident,' has been sentenced to 4 years in prison.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 23rd, presided over by Colonel Kwon Sang-jin at the Air Force Operations Command Ordinary Military Court, the military prosecutor requested a 4-year prison sentence for Warrant Officer Lee, who was charged with forced sexual harassment of a soldier and violations of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts (including trespassing and property damage). Additionally, Sergeant Park, who was jointly charged with violations of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts (trespassing and property damage), was requested to be fined 10 million won.

The military prosecutor stated, "Warrant Officer Lee, the victim's superior, committed acts of sexual harassment under the pretext of joking by touching the female soldier's body parts, which is highly condemnable. Especially, due to the defendant's acts of trespassing, the bereaved family must live with the pain of never knowing the exact circumstances of the victim's death, making a severe sentence inevitable even if the degree of harassment is minor."

He added, "Sergeant Park also participated in damaging the scene by breaking into the victim's lodging. However, considering that the act was committed under the judgment that urgent relief was necessary at the time, a fine was requested."

Warrant Officer Lee was charged with sexually harassing Corporal A twice between March and April by performing the so-called 'cheek slicing'?grabbing the cheek with one hand and making a slicing motion with the other. He is also accused of damaging the scene by entering the location and touching objects without reporting to the military police when Corporal A was found dead at an off-base lodging around 8 a.m. on May 11.

Sergeant Park was jointly charged for removing a security window to help Warrant Officer Lee enter the premises.

A torn notebook, presumed to be a suicide note, was found at the scene, but Warrant Officer Lee denied allegations of evidence tampering, stating, "The A4 paper I touched inside was different from the notebook claimed by the bereaved family."

In his final defense, Warrant Officer Lee's attorney argued, "The defendant's 'cheek slicing' act cannot be considered sexual harassment when taking into account the intent, circumstances at the time, and the victim's reaction. Also, trespassing is meant to protect the legal interest of 'residential tranquility,' but since the victim was already deceased at the time, it does not constitute a criminal act. All charges against the defendant should be acquitted due to lack of evidence or because they do not constitute crimes."

During the trial, Warrant Officer Lee testified, "The 'cheek slicing' was done as a playful warning without scolding when the victim made a mistake. I did not caress the cheek; it was just a playful warning, but it has escalated to this extent, and it is very difficult."

The court pointed out, "Touching the cheek is sexual harassment, and thinking that 'cheek slicing' is not harassment, or claiming that it is not wrong because it was done equally to both male and female soldiers as a warning, shows a problem with sexual sensitivity."

After the trial, Corporal A's father said, "The defendants should not be seen as having committed minor sexual harassment, trespassing, and property damage. Because something suspicious happened, they entered my deceased daughter's home before the investigators, searched for something, and destroyed it, making the cause of death a mystery. This should be regarded as a serious crime."

The sexual harassment and death case of Corporal A came to public attention last month when the civic group Military Human Rights Center claimed that the Air Force tried to conceal and downplay another sexual harassment death case at the time of the Air Force female corporal death incident.

The Military Human Rights Center alleged that the military authorities closed the case as a 'stress-induced suicide' one month after Corporal A's death and concealed the forced sexual harassment charges against Warrant Officer Lee, which had already been revealed, before belatedly prosecuting him.

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