Military hit for lax discipline on sex crimes

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Sun, November 27, 2022 | 21:29

Defense

Military hit for lax discipline on sex crimes

Posted : 2021-06-03 16:35

Updated : 2021-06-04 10:08

An Air Force master sergeant identified only by his surname Jang is taken to a general military court in Seoul, Wednesday, for a hearing to review whether to issue an arrest warrant over his alleged sexual assault of a female colleague, which caused her to take her own life in May. The court issued the warrant later that day on charges of sexual assault and inflicting injury. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

By Jun Ji-hye

The military is facing harsh criticism for being morally lax after its bungled responses to a series of sex crimes were made public.

An uproar began to emerge following a recent sexual assault case involving the Air Force that ended with the death of the victim. The victim's family claimed the Air Force had systematically tried to cover up the case, rather than carrying out a thorough primary investigation, and protecting the victim

Additional revelations about sex crimes at other military units including one in the Marine Corps have followed, intensifying public anger.

A female Air Force master sergeant, who was found dead at her residence May 22, accused a male colleague of the same rank, who was identified only by his surname Jang, of sexual assault in early March. The incident occurred inside a car on the way back to their base in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, after a work dinner the suspect coerced her in to attending.

Jang is now under arrest after a general military court issued an arrest warrant, Wednesday, on charges of sexual assault and inflicting injury.

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According to the victim's family, after she reported the case, her superiors did not take appropriate measures as stipulated in manuals, but tried multiple times to persuade her to reach a settlement with the suspect and cover up the case.

The victim had secured dashcam video footage that recorded audio of the incident and submitted it to Air Force investigators, but they did not carry out an active investigation despite the evidence, according to the family.

Amid growing criticism, the military said Thursday that a joint team, comprised of military prosecutors, military police and the Ministry of National Defense, as well as outside experts, will be formed to investigate the incident.

"We will investigate the case from the beginning and summon all people suspected of persuading and threatening the victim and trying to cover up the case," a military official said on condition of anonymity.

President Moon Jae-in also ordered military investigators to deal strictly with the incident, stressing the need for "strict investigation and measures" in coping with the case and secondary assault committed by the victim's superiors and colleagues.

A revelation from the Military Human Rights Korea, an advocacy group, triggered fresh controversy as it claimed that a male Air Force staff sergeant had been caught in early May for breaking into residences of female soldiers to photograph them illegally.

"Ranks of victims are varied," Lim Tae-hoon, the head of the group, said during a press conference, Wednesday. "Military police found plenty of illegal photos saved in the staff sergeant's mobile phone and USB devices."

Lim Tae-hoon, right, the head of Military Human Rights Korea, speaks during a press conference in Mapo District, Seoul, Wednesday, revealing that a male Air Force staff sergeant had been caught in early May for breaking into residences of female soldiers to photograph them illegally. Yonhap

The Marine Corps has also become a target of criticism after KBS reported that a male soldier had been sexually assaulted by a senior soldier more than 130 times over six months.

The victim said he was compelled to always say "Thank you, sir" after every incident in accordance with what he perceived were Marine Corps rules. Two other senior solders later joined in the assault against the victim.

The three were later apprehended and court-martialed, but only one received a jail term, while the other two received suspended prison sentences.

"I have never received their apology and I did not forgive them either. But a judge gave them suspended jail terms simply because they were still young," the victim was quoted as saying. "The military ruined my life."

jjh@koreatimes.co.kr Article List