A convenience store owner in his 60s has been sentenced to prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a female worker in her 20s and subsequently attempted rape. The court revealed that after committing the crime, the owner tried to cover the incident by offering a raise to the victim, who was facing financial difficulties.
According to the legal community on the 5th, the Chuncheon District Court sentenced the owner to three years in prison on charges of sexual assault and attempted rape. They also ordered him to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and prohibited him from working in organizations related to children, teenagers, and disabled people for five years.
The owner was charged with attempting to rape the part-time worker at his convenience store in Wonju, Gangwon Province, in the early morning of August 13 last year.
At that time, the owner approached the worker who was packing her belongings at the convenience store. He grabbed her face, kissed her, and sat her on his lap to touch various parts of her body, including her chest.
Furthermore, the indictment states that even when they both fell to the ground as the worker resisted and struggled, the owner continued his assault, touching her inappropriately and attempting to undress her.
It was also revealed that the owner had sexually assaulted the worker three times between July and August last year in the streets, a karaoke room, and the convenience store he operates.
According to the indictment, around last year in July, the owner tried to hold and hug the worker on the streets. After finishing work, the owner followed the worker home, grabbed her hand, and attempted to assault her. He told her, “There is no one around,” and “Just once,” despite the worker’s attempts to shake off his hand.
In the early morning of August 20 last year, the owner groped the worker’s thigh in a karaoke room in Wonju and continued his assault even after they left the karaoke room and got into a taxi. A few days later on August 28, he hugged the worker in the convenience store and touched her inappropriately.
The court stated, “The defendant was aware of the victim’s financial difficulties and attempted to cover his wrongdoings with financial compensation, including a promise to raise her salary.”
The court also noted, “The defendant admits all charges, shows remorse and has no prior convictions for sexual violence. However, he has not been forgiven by the victim, who is calling for severe punishment. The sentence was determined within the range recommended by the Supreme Court’s sentencing guidelines.”
the owner appealed after the verdict, and the case will be retried at the Chuncheon Chamber of the Seoul High Court.