Attempted Sexual Assault on Woman in Her 90s Linked to Perpetrator of 13-Year-Old Cold Case

Inspired by the Method of Crime ... DNA Match Confirmed by Test
"Please Show Leniency" Request Denied, 30 Years Imprisonment Demanded

An attempted sexual assault perpetrator of a woman in her 90s has been confirmed to have also committed a sexual assault against a female middle school student 13 years ago. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Juri] A man in his 50s, who was caught attempting to sexually assault a woman in her 90s, was revealed to have also committed a sexual assault against a middle school girl 13 years ago, leading to a heavy sentence being requested again in the second trial.

On the 12th, during the first and final trial of Mr. A (51) for violation of the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and Protection of Victims (quasi-rape of a disabled person), held at the Criminal Division 1 of the Chuncheon Branch of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Hwang Seung-tae), the prosecution requested a 30-year prison sentence for Mr. A.

Mr. A was arrested by investigative authorities in February after breaking into a house in Wonju city in early November last year, assaulting a woman in her 90s, and attempting to sexually assault her before fleeing.

At that time, while analyzing DNA found at the crime scene and Mr. A’s DNA, the investigative authorities confirmed an unexpected result. It matched the DNA of the suspect in the unsolved June 2009 sexual assault case of a middle school girl in Yongin.

After confirming traces of Mr. A’s residence in Yongin, the authorities focused on the similarity in the method of crime, where he sexually assaulted or attempted to assault victims he had no prior acquaintance with after breaking into their homes. Also, despite 13 years having passed, the middle school girl clearly testified about the suspect’s appearance, leading the authorities to conclude that Mr. A committed the Yongin case as well, applying this charge and sending him to trial.

The Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch, which handled the first trial, sentenced him to 10 years in prison, stating, "The victim middle school girl suffered long-term mental distress as the perpetrator was unidentified, and the elderly victim likely experienced great fear at the time of the crime." Additionally, the court ordered the public disclosure of personal information for 5 years, attachment of an electronic tracking device (electronic anklet) for 10 years, employment restrictions for 10 years at child and youth-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled, and attendance of 80 hours of sexual violence treatment lectures.

Meanwhile, on this day, Mr. A’s side pleaded for leniency, stating, "He even divorced to raise settlement money and is currently making efforts to reach a settlement with the victim by borrowing money," asking for consideration of these circumstances.

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