A girl is said to have been sexually molested at a driving range by a man in his 50s. The man pleaded not guilty, but the case was overturned and he was given a fine of approximately 18,000 USD. The story became one of the most discussed on Korean portal sites, with netizens debating whether the man was really a sexual pervert.
From Naver:
Kisses and says ‘you cutie’… receives 20 million won fine
Court says it was ‘unwanted physical contact, a breach of sexual freedom’
A man in his 50s has received a fine of 20 million won (18,000 USD) for having hugged and kissed a girl he often met at a driving range while muttering the words ‘you cutie’ .
Last July, Mr A (58 years old) went to a golf range in the Jeonbuk region to practice his swing, and it was there that he met youngster B (12 years old) who was standing at the counter.
Mr A, who had already seen youngster B several times at the golf range, pecked a kiss on the back of B’s hand in an expression of familiarity while saying ‘cutie’.
A few days later, when Mr A once again met girl B at the driving range, he this time decided to hug him with his two hands.
In the end, this was reported to girl B’s family and Mr A was prosecuted for violating the child and teenager protection act.
Mr A pleaded innocent, by saying that ‘it’s just that the kid was cute, so I lightly hugged her, I had no sexual molestation intentions’.
Mr A’s lawyers also protested his innocence by adding that ‘Mr A, who has no past record of a sex offence, had no intentions to sexually molest when physically touching someone in front of on-looking employees .’
However, B’s side protested that it was obvious sexual molestation.
According to girl B’s point of view, she suffered from physical contact through coercion from a stranger, and said that even the employees didn’t like it that Mr A touched her body so.
Even at the prosecution, girl B showed anxiety by saying that ‘the man was so scary that I did not go to the driving range for about 3 or 4 days’.
The court found in B’s favour.
The Jeonju Criminal Investigation Unit of the Gwangju High Court overturned the guilty verdict at the court of appeals by saying that ‘From B’s point of view, she suffered from unwanted physical contact from an older man that was physically bigger, it felt unpleasant and she became fearful’ while adding that ‘A’s behaviour must be seen as an infringement of B’s sexual freedom’, fining him 20 million won.
Mr A had appealed and pleaded not guilty after being sentenced to 30 months in prison with four years of probation and 40 hours of lectures to remedy against sexual violence.
Comments from Naver:
junp****:
If you think she’s cute, just beat her up instead. Punch her in the face, in her ears, in her jaws. You’ll still be fined about 20 million won.. It’s better to get a crime record by hitting her instead of being accused of sexual harassment. And if someone asks you why you beat her up, then tell him you beat her cos she was too cute.. That’s still better than sexually harassing her…
efbn****:
Whether you are a kid or a grown-up, people shouldn’t touch a female stranger…
juho9430:
When women sexually harass men by touching their penises, they are released with a warning. While men were working hard to establish equal rights for both sexes, women don’t appreciate their effort and keep on bitching. Don’t click the “oppose” button, which makes me feel like shit, please provide adequate grounds for opposing the article.
turn****:
Is there a reason why a 12 year old kid should be in a golf club? Can somebody tell me?
wild****:
You see this [kind of sexual harassment] on TV shows. It’s nothing new and you guys would not criticize that but why would you care about man in his 50s who got fined 20 million won? It is an interesting and easy-to-abuse law.
98sa****:
Nowadays, even 12-year-old kids have a profound knowledge of sex, so it’s extremely normal for her to feel humiliated by that.
kwy4****
My female friend sometimes slaps me on the butt… but I say nothing about it.
mato****:
In the past, old women in my town were dying to touch my dick whenever possible lol but I think I was mentally strong enough to endure those attempts. I didn’t fall into trauma and I’m living a normal life. ha ha
remo****
Only people who would sexually harass a 20-year-old woman if she is cute, and would claim that they did not sexually harass her, are leaving comments here –;; You know what? Kids choose their clothes themselves when they are 10. They are 5th grade in elementary school when they are 12. Two years later, they go to middle school. So it’s so obvious that they’ll be humiliated by those actions unless they’re disabled
dldm****:
If that man is fined 20 million won for his actions, old women who touch young kids on the dick should get the death penalty, right? But why wouldn’t the court do that? huh?
teaz****:
Recently one woman kissed me at a drinking party. She said that was her habit when she’s drunk, and so said that is not sexual harassment. What do you think? Do you think I can win this case if I sue her? I’m so humiliated and I cannot stand this
Comments from Nate:
김수진:
Regardless of the age, touching other people’s bodies without permission itself is very unpleasant, and it can never happen in developed countries. A 20 million won verdict is not heartless, with this event as an example, people who touch others carelessly (with or without malintentions) should be more careful from now on.
김두남:
The 12-year-old child might have been scared to tell the guy and so she told the employee. Then the employee there should have appealed to the guy that the girl hates it and, if the guy continued even after that warning, then I don’t think the 20 million verdict is too much.
박준형:
It’s what it’s supposed to be but seeing that such a right thing is happening in Korea, that girl’s parents must have great powers.
정현주:
The child is right at the age of adolecence of course she wouldn’t like it…. damn~ dude wake up
김희승:
12 years old on articles usually could be 13 or 14 in Korean age and they are CUTE????????????? The word “cute” is only applicable to kids aged one digit – it’s not even funny ke ke ke
김도연:
If the child was 4~5 years old then its reasonable but 12……………………… that bastard did it on purpose? -_-
차계선:
However cute she was you shouldn’t have hugged her if she didn’t even want it. If she was that cute then just give her plenty of pocket money or something.
신종훈:
I first thought it was about a little girl around 5 – 7 years old but 12…. that’s a sexual crime
