"An Already Happened Incident"... Victims' Parents Outraged by Lawyer's Remarks on 'Barican Assault Man'

Victim's Parents Post Direct Appeal for Help
Perpetrator Hires Three Lawyers from Major Law Firm Claiming Innocence

The mother of a female victim who was confined and subjected to severe assault and sexual violence by her boyfriend for five days appealed to netizens to join a petition demanding strict punishment for the perpetrator.

A netizen who identified themselves as the parent of the so-called 'Barikan Incident' victim posted a message titled "My daughter was rescued with her head shaved by a barikan. Please help" on an online community on the 3rd. The author, Mr. A, wrote, "The perpetrator committed a bizarre and shocking crime but denies the act, claiming it was done with the victim's consent."

The victim of the so-called 'Barikan assault' [Image source=Online community capture]

The incident occurred from July 7 to 11 last year. The perpetrator, Mr. B (25), was charged with confining his girlfriend, Ms. C (20), in an officetel in Guri-si, Gyeonggi Province, and repeatedly assaulting and raping her. At the time, Ms. C sent a text message to her parents asking for help while Mr. B was asleep, and the police who responded to the report rescued her. Mr. B cut Ms. C's hair roughly with a hair clipper, commonly called a 'barikan,' earning him the nickname 'Barikan Assault Man.'

Mr. A described the victim's condition at the time of rescue as "horrific beyond words," saying, "Her hair was shaved with a barikan and was a mess, and her body was covered with bruises from dozens of blows." He also confessed, "When I heard the story from the firefighter who first found my daughter, it felt like the sky was falling. The paramedic said it was the first time they had seen someone so terrified, and as a parent, I felt guilty for not realizing it sooner."

Mr. A said that Mr. B, who is over 190 cm tall and large-built, not only assaulted Ms. C multiple times but also "committed unimaginable and bizarre acts." He explained, "(Mr. B) urinated on my daughter's face and made her urinate on a puppy pad, among other inhumane and bizarre behaviors," adding, "Thinking that my daughter endured all of that makes me feel hopeless. She is alive but enduring this as if she is not alive."

Mr. A also revealed that Mr. B threatened Ms. C during the crime. He wrote that Mr. B mocked and threatened his daughter by saying, "Anyway, my family is rich and you have no money, so even if you hire a powerful lawyer, you will only live for one or two years. Do you think I won't do anything to you?" and "Whether the police or your parents come, I will follow you to the end and kill you, and the police won't protect you."

After the case became public, Mr. B's parents caused public outrage by saying in a broadcast interview, "This is not a murder or theft. (Our son) is definitely not as heinous a criminal as the articles say."

Mr. A also stated that the perpetrator's side hired three lawyers from a major law firm to claim innocence. He alleged, "Those lawyers are causing secondary harm by asking my traumatized daughter extremely difficult questions for over three hours during the trial." He expressed anger, saying that during the hearing on the 19th of last month, the perpetrator's lawyers said over the phone, "What can we do about what has already happened? Please calm down," and added, "I want to ask if they would use the word 'calm down' if this happened to their own daughter."

'Barikan Assault' Victim's Parents Appeal for Signatures on Online Community Post
[Image source=Online Community Capture]

Currently, Mr. B is on trial in the first instance for seven charges including special threats, rape, and confinement. The prosecution's charges include that Mr. B spat on Ms. C's face, forced her to say "I'm sorry" while naked after urinating, and filmed it. It also includes that he entrusted Ms. C's phone to a private company for digital forensics, took her to a bank to withdraw money, and made her pay his officetel deposit and monthly rent. Mr. B's lawyer admitted some charges such as assault on the first day of confinement during the first trial held in September last year but denied most charges including rape and confinement, claiming the facts differ.

The author pleaded, "As parents who could not protect our daughter, the only way to let her live is to severely punish the perpetrator, so we have started this fight," and earnestly requested signatures for the petition, saying, "The only way for us to live is to see our daughter survive."

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