KU med student breaks silence on sexual assault

Posted on : 2011-09-03 11:51 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Female student goes on radio to speak out against delay in punishing offenders

By Yu Sun-hui

The Korea University female medical student who was sexually harassed by three of her fellow medical students during a Membership Training went on the radio to tell of her suffering and plead for “due actions” to be taken by the school in punishing the perpetrators.

“I was being too naive to believe that the truth would be told as time went by. But as I waited for the case to unfold, I discovered malicious rumors about me were spreading around school, the hospital and elsewhere. That’s why I decided to speak up,” said the 24-year old student during an interview with the MBC radio program “Son Suk Hee's Spotlight.”

The victim was sexually molested by the three classmates after being pressured to drink excessively and passing out during a party at a retreat. The attackers even took photos and filmed her body.

“Groundless rumors that I was dating and had slept with the molesters began to emerge. I later learned one classmate involved in the case sent out a questionnaire to 60 fellow medical students surveying whether I led a disorderly private life and had a mental disorder before he was arrested,” the victim said.

“I discovered about the survey two months after it was conducted. I think the questionnaire was the reason why so many of my classmates treated me as an outcast when I returned to school,” she said during the interview.

She also claimed officials at Korea University have been hesitant in punishing the sex offenders.

“I have not heard how officials at school are planning to punish the culprits. But I heard that one professor told students in class that they should embrace them once they return to their studies,” she said.

She is reported to have attended some classes and even taken exams also attended by the offenders, triggering public outcry and criticism of KU's disregard for the victim.

“I don’t think I can bear the thought of taking classes with them. I am actually thinking about dropping out of school,” said the medical school student when asked about her plans if the offenders return to school. She is now receiving treatment from a psychiatrist after being diagnosed with depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

KU is still dragging its feet in determining punishment for the offenders despite mounting criticism of its lukewarm response as more than three months have already passed since the incident in May. The university announced that they determined a penalty during the Reward and Punishment Committee meeting held on Aug. 16, but did not publicly disclose it.

Some point out that the KU faculty is doing the exact opposite to its response to a protest in 2006. It only took 14 days for officials to expel seven students for staging a protest at its headquarters, immediately followed by a statement detailing the reasons and background behind its decision.

(Translated by Kang Jin-kyu, Intern)

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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