"If Only I Could Give a Longer Sentence"... Juvenile Offenders' Crimes Leave Judge Sighing

[Anchor] It is reported that a judge's sharp rebuke to juvenile offenders who committed sex crimes is drawing significant attention.

The Busan High Court recently increased the sentences for two ringleaders, identified as A and B, in the appellate trial of five juvenile offenders charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a female student from the same school and filming and possessing sexually exploitative material.

The court sentenced them to a maximum of five years and a minimum of four years, and a maximum of three years and a minimum of two years, respectively.

The court stated that there was no issue in finding them guilty based on the victim's testimony, phone call records, text messages, and transcripts, and rebuked the defendants for denying their crimes with excuses that were difficult to accept until the very end.

The court also noted that although the victim transferred to another school after the incident, rumors spread, eventually forcing her to drop out, and she is still unable to live a normal life while receiving psychiatric treatment.

In particular, the presiding judge mentioned a recently popular drama about the infringement of teachers' rights, pointing out, "The victim did nothing wrong, so why should the victim be the one to transfer?" and added, "Wouldn't it be more appropriate to transfer the perpetrators instead?"

The judge further expressed regret, stating that even after serving their sentences, the perpetrators are much more likely to return to society than the victim.

The judge also addressed the limitations of the current Juvenile Act, noting that there were limits to significantly increasing the sentences simply because the defendants are minors.
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