Korea: Teenage Rape and Parents’ Responsibility

A teenager who has suffered from attention deficit disorder raped a seven year old girl. Having a previous record, the 18 year old was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the court. An interesting decision that the court made this time was to make his parents responsible for not educating him properly.[EN]

Regarding this decision, netizens’ reactions are below. A netizen describes it as victory for justice and others share their opinions.

[…] 가해 성 범죄자가 13세부터 인터넷 포르노물 등에 중독되어 왔던 점, 또한 지난 과거에도 비슷한 문제를 일으켰었던 점, 이에 수수방관만 해왔던 부모들에게 그 책임을 단단히 물은 것입니다. 통쾌합니다. […] 한국의 성 범죄에 대한 단죄는 너무나 가볍습니다. 또한 뭐가 뭔지 이 사건, 저 사건에내려지는 판결이 도저히 한 나라에서 내려지는 거라 보기 힘들 때가 있네요.[…] 하여간 이번 판결 의미가 큽니다. 어른들 돈벌이와 무관심에 강간 살해자가 되어가는 아이들, 역시 아이들은 어른을 보고 배우는 겁니다. 그리고 덧붙입니다, 이제 강간 피해에서 남성도 자유롭지 않습니다. 결국 여성의 복장이나 태도와 상관없이 일어나는 게 강간이라는 것이 증명되는 겁니다.

[…] He has been addicted to Internet pornography since age 13 and he also committed similar crimes before. The court is demanding his parents be held responsible for looking on with folded arms. I'm extremely delighted with this result […] Punishment over sex crimes in Korea is not strong enough. In addition, sentences are capricious to this case and to that case.[…] Anyway, the meaning of this judicial decision is important. With adults’ disinterest and obsession with making momeny, children are becoming rapists or murderes. Children learn things from adults. I also would like to comment. Men are not free from rape either. It doesn't matter to women's outfit or attitude.

Others respond.

처벌도 좋지만 지발 부탁인데 처벌+성교육좀 합시다. 저놈들 또 나오면 또 성범죄 저지릅니다. 왜 그걸 모릅니까? 처벌만능주의가 우선이 아닌 처벌+올바른 성교육이 필요한 시대입니다.

Punishment is fine, but we should consider punishment+sex education. When those people come out of prison, there is high possibility that they will commit the same crime as well. Don't we know about it? Instead of solving problems with punishment, it is necessary to have punishment+sex education.

개인적으론 부모에게 책임은 좀 과하다는 생각이 듭니다. 분명 잘못이 없는것은 아니지만 그것은 도의적인 책임일뿐 직접적으로 해선 안된다고 생각합니다. 그렇다면 국가는 뭐했냐?라고 따지면서 국가에게 손해청구를 해도 국가에서도 보상을 해줘야 해주던지요..

In my personal opinion, it is excessive to ask responsibility to parents. I am not saying they don't have any fault. However, it should be moral responsibility. Then what did a country do? If you ask like that, shouldn't the country compensate as well?

당연히 자식교육잘못시킨 부모에게 책임을 물어야 한다.. 그리고 한가지 더하자면 미성년자 술이나 담배 구입도 구입한사람과 판매한사람 둘다 책임을 물려야 한다. 속이는사람은 죄가없고 속은 사람에게만 벌금을 물리는 경우가 어디 있는가…

As a matter of course, we should ask the resonsibility to parents who didn't give good enough education. In addition, we should not disregard people who sell alcohol and cigarettes to teenagers. People who trick others should get equal punishment or fines to people who are tricked….

자녀의 참된 교육이 1순위 입니다.

Giving truthful education to children is the first priority.

Some netizens ask about other problems rather than parents’ education.

부모가 맞벌이 하면서 애들 가정교육 정말 힘든다,새벽에 나가서 애들 잘때 들어오는 부모가 애들 감시를 어떻게 하나? 부모가 애들에게 나쁜길을 가라가 가르치는 부모가 어디 있겠나?혼자 집에서 성인사이트나 뒤지고 하는일이 없으니 그렇게 된다, 범죄는 정말 없어 져야 한다.그러나 부모에게 책임을 물으면 서민은 죽으라 말인가?

If both father and mother work, it is really difficult to give good education to the children. They go out in dawn and come back when children already go to bed. How can parents look after the children? What kinds of parents would like to teach their children to go to the wrong direction? Nothing to do at home, they are alone and start searching porn sites. Crimes should disappear. But if the responsibility is on parents, does that mean that common people should all die?

서민들 자녀 방과후 갈곳부터 마련해라. 맞벌이 부모가 애들 깨어나기전 (새벽)에 출근해서 애들이 잠든후 들어온다. 아무리 가난해도 애들이 비뚤어 지라고 바라는 부모는 없다.시간이 있어야 애들과 대화도 하고 감시도 한다, 이건 정부의 정책 부재가 만든 결과다, 미성년자 범죄를 예방하려면 애들 방과후 갈곳을 만들어 주어라 정부야.

Please provide some places where common people's children can go after school. Working parents leave home before their children wake up and come back after they fall asleep. No matter how poor they are, none of parents want their children to go to the wrong direction. If they have time, they would have conversations with children and look at them. This is the result of policy absence of the government. In order to prevent teenagers’ crimes, the government should provide some places where children can go after school.

Increasing pornographic sites became an issue after this event.

음란물이 성범죄 원인의 모든것은 아니지만 많은 비율을 차지한다고 생각합니다. 특히 나이어린 미성년자의 성범죄의 경우 말이죠. 음란물 노출 확율이 100년전 수준이라고 생각 해보세요. 고등학생 이하 미성년자들이 그렇게 대담한 성범죄를 저지르는것이 가능했을까요? 몰라서라도 못할 겁니다. 또한 야동의 진정한 위험성은 자발적으로 나서서 범죄를 저지르게 만드는 것이 아닌 상황과 여건이 조성되었을때 범행을 저지르게 만드는 촉매역할을 한다는 것에 있습니다. 성에대한 양심을 무뎌지게 만들어 ‘뭐 한번 이럴수도 있는거지'하게 만든다는 것이죠.

Pornography is not the only cause of sex crimes, but lead high percentage. Especially, teenagers’ sex crime would be included here more. Think about 100 years ago how much porn was exposed. Would it be possible that teenagers could commit such a bold sex crime at that time? They must have not known what to do. Dangerous parts of porn are making people spontaneous of their actions depending on circumstances and situations. Those people's consiousness of sex is getting dull and they commit without any conscousness.

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