Why the Sentence Increased in the Second Trial for the Homeroom Teacher Who Academically and Emotionally Abused a High School Senior Student

Court: "Youth Victims Suffer Great Pain"

A female homeroom teacher who was prosecuted for sexually and emotionally abusing a high school senior student was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the appellate court. The sentence was harsher than the fine imposed in the first trial.

On the 3rd, the 2nd Criminal Appeals Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kang Hee-seok) overturned the original verdict that fined teacher A (55), who was charged with violating the Child Abuse Punishment Act, and sentenced her to 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The court also ordered A to attend lectures on preventing recidivism in child abuse and sexual violence treatment. However, the court dismissed the prosecution’s request for public notification of personal information and employment restrictions. The court stated, "Although she had a responsibility to protect the victim, she committed multiple offenses over a long period, which likely caused significant mental distress and negative impact on the adolescent victim. She continued to make irrational claims without showing remorse and was not forgiven by the victim, making the original sentence too lenient."

A is accused of sexually and emotionally abusing her student B, who was a senior in high school from March to June 2020, by making sexually humiliating remarks and sending text messages. The abusive acts included referring to herself as a "sadist" and demanding B report her location every two hours. She also sent various foreign language phrases meaning "I love you" via text messages.

In a previous hearing, victim B testified, "It was very difficult and despairing, and although I wanted to escape, I could not cut off contact with the homeroom teacher who managed the principal’s recommendation letter and school records." In response, A’s side claimed that the problematic remarks either did not occur or were distorted, and while admitting to sending text messages, argued that it was part of life guidance and academic supervision, not abuse.

Both the first and second trials concluded that A committed sexual harassment causing sexual humiliation and sexual violence or cruel acts against B. However, as A has appealed, the Supreme Court will make the final judgment on the case.

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