Cheongju court orders parents of middle schooler to pay 18 mln won over classmate abuse
In short
A court in Cheongju ordered the parents of a male middle school student to pay about 18 million won to a female classmate he sexually harassed over several months, Yonhap and other Korean outlets reported on Oct. 5, citing the legal community. The victim had sought 35 million won; the court awarded 12 million won in consolation money plus about 6.7 million won in psychiatric treatment costs. The court found the parents liable for failing their duty to protect and supervise their son, including providing proper sex education and everyday guidance.
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A court in Cheongju ordered the parents of a male middle school student to pay about 18 million won to a female classmate he sexually harassed over several months, Yonhap and other Korean outlets reported on Oct. 5, citing the legal community. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 , 12 ]
The victim had claimed 35 million won in damages. Cheongju District Court Civil Division 6, with judge Lee Ju-hyun sitting alone, ordered the parents to pay about 18 million won, a partial win for the plaintiff, the reports said. [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
According to the reports, the student sent sexual messages to the classmate through a social networking service between March and May last year, including “I want to touch your body parts” and “be a sex slave.” He also repeatedly touched her body in classrooms and corridors during the same period. The victim was diagnosed with depression and received psychiatric treatment, the reports said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
The court held that the parents had a duty to keep supervising and advising their son, including giving him proper sex education, and that neglecting this duty contributed to the offence. “These negligent acts became the cause of the wrongful act, so the defendants are liable as wrongdoers to compensate the plaintiff for the damage suffered,” judge Lee was quoted as saying by Yonhap and other outlets. [ 1 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
The court set consolation money at 12 million won, citing the circumstances of the case, the content of the sexual messages and the manner of the forcible touching, and added about 6.7 million won for the victim's psychiatric treatment. [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 ]
Reporters did not state the exact date the ruling was delivered or whether either side plans to appeal. Most outlets identified the perpetrator as student A and the victim as student B, while Kyunghyang Shinmun used the same initials in the opposite order. [ 7 , 10 ]
Why it matters
The ruling extends liability for school sexual harassment to a perpetrator's parents on grounds of negligent supervision, a framing several Korean outlets highlighted in their headlines. Because the documents describe a single civil judgment at one district court, its wider effect on how similar cases are decided is not established by the reporting.
Key facts
- Cheongju District Court Civil Division 6, with judge Lee Ju-hyun sitting alone, ordered the parents of a male middle school student to pay about 18 million won to a female classmate he harassed, partially granting her claim of 35 million won. [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The award consists of 12 million won in consolation money and about 6.7 million won in psychiatric treatment costs. [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 ]
- Between March and May last year the student sent sexual messages through a social networking service, including “I want to touch your body parts” and “be a sex slave,” and repeatedly touched the victim's body in classrooms and corridors, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 , 12 ]
- The victim was diagnosed with depression and received psychiatric treatment. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 , 10 ]
- The court held that the parents neglected their duty to supervise and guide their son, including giving him proper sex education, and that this negligence contributed to the offence. [ 1 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The ruling was reported on Oct. 5 by multiple Korean outlets, most of them citing the legal community. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A Cheongju court ordered the parents of a male middle school student to pay about 18 million won to a female classmate, a partial win on her 35 million won claim. [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The court based the parents' liability on their failure to properly protect and supervise their son. [ 1 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The harassment involved sexual messages sent through a social networking service and repeated forcible touching in classrooms and corridors between March and May last year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The victim was diagnosed with depression and underwent psychiatric treatment. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 , 10 ]
Still unclear
- The exact date the ruling was delivered. Seoul Economic Daily said the court ruled “recently,” while other outlets say only that the legal community was informed on Oct. 5; no document gives a hearing or judgment date.
- Which student the initials A and B refer to. Most outlets label the perpetrator A and the victim B, but Kyunghyang Shinmun labels the victim A and the perpetrator B, so the letters cannot be relied on.
- Whether the school or education authorities took any separate action. No document mentions school discipline, an investigation or education office measures.
- Whether either side will appeal or whether the ruling is final. None of the reports state whether an appeal was filed or is planned.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes the first report on the Cheongju court ruling, citing the legal community. [ 1 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo follows with the amount and the details of the harassment. [ 2 ]
- Maeil Business reports the judge's reasoning on parental supervision. [ 3 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the ruling with the parties' initials reversed. [ 7 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports the court's reasoning and the damages calculation. [ 10 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its account, citing Yonhap and the legal community. [ 12 ]