Wife of Belgian ambassador yet to respond to police on assault allegation

By Lee Hyo-jin

The wife of Belgian Ambassador to Korea Peter Lescouhier has yet to respond to a police request for questioning regarding her alleged assault of a store clerk, according to an officer, Monday.

“We have opened an investigation of her based on CCTV footage and questioning of victims,” Jang Ha-yeon, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said at a press briefing.

The wife of the Belgian ambassador to Korea is not responding to a police request to come in for questioning regarding her alleged assault case, according to the police, Monday. Yonhap

“We have made multiple requests though the embassy and relevant organizations, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for her to report to the police station for questioning, but we have not received any clear response yet.”

He added that they are proceeding in accordance with the standard process for the investigation of crimes committed by members of diplomatic missions in Korea.

The police are looking into allegations that Lescouhier's wife slapped a clothing store employee in the face April 9, after she had been asked whether she paid for the clothes she was wearing because the shop was selling the same items.

Following public criticism, the ambassador apologized on behalf of his wife, Thursday, and promised she will cooperate with the police investigation as soon as she is well enough. She had a stroke recently and is receiving medical treatment, according to the embassy.

However, the embassy declined to further comment to The Korea Times' inquiry asking whether the embassy received such requests from the police, also on Monday, saying, “We have already made all the comments we can make on this case.”