Taeyil, a former member of the group NCT, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial for collective sexual assault, has filed an appeal against his sentence.
According to legal sources on the 17th, the prosecution submitted an appeal against the first trial sentence of 3 years and 6 months for Taeyil and two accomplices for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (aggravated rape) on the 15th. The two accomplices who committed the crime with Taeyil also appealed on the same day.
Until that day, only Taeyil had not filed a significant appeal regarding the first trial sentence, but on the 16th, he submitted an appeal through his lawyer, leading the case to proceed to the second trial.
Previously, Taeyil, along with two friends, allegedly got a Chinese woman drunk after meeting her at a bar in Itaewon, Yongsan District, Seoul, around 2:33 a.m. on June 13 last year, and then took her in a taxi to their residence in Bangbae-dong, where they collectively sexually assaulted the woman, who had lost consciousness.
As a result, Taeyil was expelled from the group NCT, and his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment was also terminated. SM Entertainment stated, "We have confirmed that Taeyil has been filed against in a criminal case related to a sexual offense. In relation to this, while trying to ascertain the facts of the matter, we recognized that the situation is very grave and judged that he could no longer continue team activities, leading to a decision to discuss his departure from the team."
During the first trial held in June, Taeyil and his two accomplices acknowledged the charges, and Taeyil said, "I am very sorry to everyone who feels disappointed in me" and "If given leniency, I will consider it the last opportunity given in my life and will do my best to contribute in any way to society while living my life to the fullest."
The prosecution sought a seven-year prison sentence for the three, and the 26th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Director General Lee Hyun-kyung) sentenced Taeyil and the other two to 3 years and 6 months in prison on the 10th for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (aggravated rape). Additionally, they were ordered to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program, to have their personal information disclosed, and were restricted from employment in institutions related to children, youth, and individuals with disabilities for five years, and they were detained in the courtroom immediately after the sentencing.
The court stated, "The crime involved taking advantage of the victim's inability to resist due to intoxication, and the nature of the crime is very poor" and "The victim, being a foreign traveler, likely experienced significant mental suffering after being victimized in an unfamiliar place." However, it explained that all were first-time offenders, acknowledged their crimes, and the fact that the victim did not seek punishment was considered a favorable circumstance in the sentencing.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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