A middle school student who continued to hit a peer's cheek despite pleas to stop the assault, along with a high school student who incited the crime, were referred to the family court and prosecution, respectively.
Incheon Yeonsu Police Station stated on the 22nd that a middle school student, A (14), who faces charges of assault and special intimidation, has been transferred to the Incheon Family Court.
The police also booked a high school student, B, without physical detention on charges of aiding the assault and referred him to the prosecution.
A is accused of hitting the cheek of middle school student C seven times and threatening with a weapon in a parking lot of an apartment in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, last November.
B is suspected of actively inciting A's actions at the scene.
The police decided to refer A, who was 13 at the time of the crime and is classified as a juvenile under the age of 14, to the youth division of the family court.
Juveniles classified as such receive protective measures which can include protective supervision, community service orders, probation, or transfer to a juvenile detention center.
The police determined that the high school student who filmed the assault did not actively participate in the crime and decided not to forward charges.
The police conducted an investigation targeting Instagram and other platforms to identify the person who posted the assault video on social media, but they were unable to confirm identity and decided to halt the investigation.
After receiving a report on May 2 stating that a 'school violence video was uploaded to social media,' the police launched an investigation against A, the assailant, the person aiding the assault, and the person who filmed and distributed the video.
At that time, a 1 minute and 39 seconds long video titled 'Incheon Songdo class of 2011 school violence video' was posted on social media, with A and C's faces clearly visible.
The video shows C pleading, 'I'm sorry. Please stop,' while A continues to hit her cheek.
It is reported that C did not file a complaint immediately after the assault but reported A and the student who filmed it after the video was uploaded to social media.
The comments on the video, which spread rapidly online, included not only the perpetrator's name and contact information but also the victim's identity, sparking controversy.
The police requested the Korea Communications Standards Commission to delete the video to minimize secondary damage and took measures to delete most of the videos, including the original distribution video.
A police official noted, 'Due to difficulties in identifying the video poster, we made the decision to halt the investigation,' adding, 'Other children who were watching the assault could not be considered to have actively participated, so they were not charged.'