▲ Busan District Court
A group of individuals in their teens and twenties who subjected a victim to brutal abuse—including holding them captive for 23 hours, beating them with a baseball bat, and spraying burning hairspray onto their body—have been sentenced to prison.
The 6th Criminal Division of the Busan District Court (Presiding Judge Lim Seong-chul) sentenced a ringleader in his twenties, identified as A, to three years in prison, and a teenager identified as B to one year and two months in prison.
Another teenager, C, who participated in the crime, was sentenced to one year in prison suspended for two years.
The court also ordered A to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and placed a three-year employment restriction on him at institutions related to children and adolescents.
They were put on trial for dragging the victim to an officetel and a motel on October 28 of last year, confining and assaulting them for approximately 23 hours.
According to the indictments, after A brought the victim to the officetel, B—who was waiting there—hit the victim's buttocks with a baseball bat, and A also repeatedly beat the victim's entire body with fists and a baseball bat.
A was also charged with lighting a lighter and spraying hairspray toward the victim's torso during the confinement, inflicting second-degree burns on the abdomen, thighs, and arms.
In addition, he was charged with taking unauthorized photos of the victim standing naked from behind, and forcing the victim, who was terrified by the assaults and abuse, to sell their cell phone before transferring and pocketing 650,000 won in proceeds.
The court stated, "Defendant A unilaterally demanded the victim repay money, beat them multiple times with a baseball bat, confined them for two days and one night, and subjected them to brutal abuse, including indiscriminately battering their entire body. However, the sentencing took into consideration that he admitted to the crime and reached a settlement with the victim."
The court added, "Defendant B actively participated in the violence against the victim—with whom he had no particular conflict of interest—at the request of A, and committed the crime during a repeated offense probation period for injury. Nevertheless, consideration was given to the fact that he admitted to the crime, settled with the victim, and was an 18-year-old minor at the time." It further noted, "Defendant C also participated in the confinement, but the court took into account that he admitted to the crime, settled with the victim, and was an 18-year-old minor at the time."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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