A court has ruled that the parents of a middle school student who forcibly harassed and sexually harassed a classmate in the same classroom for months must pay approximately 18 million won in damages to the victimized student instead of their son.

According to legal circles, Judge Lee Joo-hyun of Civil Division 6 at the Cheongju District Court partially ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a 35 million won damage suit filed by the victimized student against the parents of the perpetrator, identified as student A, ordering the defendants to pay about 18 million won to the plaintiff.

Between March and May of last year, middle school student A sent sexual messages to his classmate, student B, via social media, saying things like "I want to touch your body" and "Be my sex slave."

During this period, he also forcibly touched student B's body multiple times in the classroom and hallway.

Due to this incident, student B was diagnosed with depression and received psychiatric treatment.

Judge Lee stated, "The defendants had a duty of protection and supervision to continuously provide routine guidance and advice, including proper sex education for student A, but they neglected this duty," adding, "Because this negligence caused the illicit act, the defendants are responsible as wrongdoers to compensate for the damages suffered by the plaintiff."

The judge further ordered, "Considering various circumstances such as the background and details leading up to this case, the content of the sexual messages, and the manner in which the forcible harassment took place, it is appropriate to set the solatium at 12 million won," and instructed, "The defendants must also compensate for approximately 6.7 million won in psychiatric treatment costs incurred by student B."

(Photo: Yonhap News)