'Middle School Girls Group Sexual Assault' Male Students Referred to Prosecutors with Indictment Opinion... 350,000 Agree in National Petition

One Suspect Denies Charges, Requests Detention Review but Denied
Police: "Based on DNA and Investigation Results, Sexual Assault Charges Confirmed"
Victim's Mother: "Severe Punishment Needed for Minors Who Committed Serious Crimes"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Two male students of the same age who were arrested for the gang rape of a female middle school student attending the same school have been handed over to the prosecution. This case became public after the victim's mother appealed for severe punishment of the perpetrators through a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board.

On the 14th, the Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon sent two middle school students, including A (15), who were detained on charges of rape causing injury under the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

They are accused of giving alcohol to B, a female student attending the same middle school, at a gym in an apartment in Incheon in the early morning of December 23 last year, then dragging her to the stairs near the rooftop and repeatedly raping her. It is reported that B became the target of the crime because she was close to a junior student who was bullied by A and the other suspect.

Earlier, on the 9th, Judge Kim Byung-guk of the Incheon District Court, who was in charge of warrants, conducted a pre-trial detention hearing for A and others and issued an arrest warrant, stating, "Although they are juveniles, there are unavoidable reasons to detain them."

Before sending the case to the prosecution, the police collected DNA samples from A and the other suspect and requested testing from the National Forensic Service. It was revealed that only one of the suspects’ DNA was found on B’s body. A, whose DNA was not detected, partially denied the rape charges during the police investigation and requested a detention review from the court, but it was dismissed.

A police official explained, "Considering the DNA results and other investigation findings, we judged that the rape charges are substantiated and sent the case to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment," adding, "Since the suspects are minors, we cannot disclose specific details of the case."

Meanwhile, the petition posted by B’s mother on the National Petition Board asking for severe punishment of the perpetrators has garnered 350,000 supporters as of today.

B’s mother claimed, "The perpetrators gave my daughter alcohol in their apartment, saying 'Today, we will kill you,'" and "They hit her face, decided the order by playing rock-paper-scissors, and then raped her."

She continued, "Due to this incident, my daughter received a three-week recovery diagnosis from orthopedics and a two-week recovery diagnosis from obstetrics and gynecology," and appealed, "The perpetrators are sex offenders who committed the serious crime of aggravated rape causing injury and must be severely punished with at least 10 years in prison or life imprisonment."

B’s mother also argued, "The minors who committed this serious crime are receiving juvenile protection measures simply because they are young," and "The juvenile protection system, which protects vicious criminals instead of victims, must be thoroughly reformed."