A 2 year and 6 month prison term was upheld for Yoo Young-jae on charges of molesting Sunwoo Eun-suk's biological older sister.
On the 25th, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division dismissed Yoo Young-jae's appeal and affirmed the lower court's ruling in the case in which he was detained on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (forcible molestation by a family member).
Earlier, Yoo Young-jae was accused of forcibly molesting his ex sister-in-law A by touching her body on five occasions beginning in 2023. Yoo Young-jae denied the charges during police and prosecutorial investigations and at the first trial, but in January the first-instance court sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison.
The court ordered his detention in court and mandated completion of a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and a five-year ban on employment at institutions related to children, adolescents and people with disabilities. The day after the first-instance sentence, Yoo Young-jae filed an appeal against the court's decision, and the prosecution also submitted an appeal.
Although he had denied the charges, Yoo Young-jae admitted them at the second trial. In his final statement, Yoo Young-jae said, "I reflect on my past time; I lacked awareness about the intimacy and sexual standards I held. I was wrong. I sincerely apologize to the victim who suffered because of me, and I bow my head and offer a deep apology to the victim who must be in pain."
However, the Suwon High Court's 2-3 Criminal Division last July dismissed Yoo Young-jae's appeal and handed down the same sentence of 2 years and 6 months in prison as the first-instance court. The court said, "The defendant's criminal conduct is serious. The victim has reported great shock and pain from this crime and has not forgiven it," and added as sentencing reasons, "The victim may have worried about affecting her younger sibling's married life, concealed the fact of the assault, endured the molestation, and felt pressure and sexual shame."
With the trial having reached the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court also upheld the lower court's decision like the second instance and sentenced Yoo Young-jae to a prison term.
Meanwhile, separately, Sunwoo Eun-suk filed an annulment of marriage lawsuit against Yoo Young-jae, but on the 19th of last month the Suwon Family Court Seongnam Branch, Family Division 1, dismissed the suit. The court said it dismissed the case after determining that the two had already divorced and there was no reason to proceed with further litigation.
[Photo] Provided by agency, Gyeongin Broadcasting
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