A man in his 40s who slapped and knocked down a teenage middle school girl he had never met before at a restaurant has been given a suspended prison sentence on appeal, which is heavier than the fine handed down in the first trial.
The 4-1 Criminal Appellate Division of the Busan District Court (Presiding Judge Jung Sung-ho) recently overturned a lower court ruling that sentenced the 40-year-old man, surnamed A, to a fine of 5 million won for violating the Child Welfare Act (child abuse) and assault, sentencing him instead to eight months in prison suspended for two years.
A was indicted on charges of assaulting a 13-year-old middle school student, surnamed B, whom he did not know, at a restaurant in Geumjeong-gu, Busan, at around 6:00 p.m. on November 1 of last year.
Approaching from behind, A struck the right cheek of B, who was sitting in a chair, with his hand. Due to the sudden assault, B fell to the floor along with her chair.
The first-trial court sentenced A to a fine of 5 million won, taking into consideration that he admitted to the crime, expressed remorse, and that mental illness appeared to be a contributing factor to the offense.
However, the prosecution appealed, arguing that the sentence was too light, and the appellate court accepted the argument.
Explaining the reason for increasing the sentence, the appellate court stated, "The nature of the crime is poor, as he assaulted a middle school student whom he had no relation to, and the degree of the assault is not light." It added, "The victimized child is believed to have suffered not only physical pain but also significant psychological shock, yet the offender has not been forgiven by the victim."
Reported by Son Hyeong-an | Video by Lee Yu-jin | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
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