A man in his 50s who repeatedly assaulted his teenage son's friends, believing they were bullying his son with an intellectual disability, received a suspended fine.
Judge Park Kwang-min of the Cheongju District Court's Criminal Division 1 sentenced the man, identified only as A, to a fine of 3 million won with a one-year suspension of execution on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act, legal sources said on the 6th. A was indicted without detention.
A was charged with punching a 14-year-old friend of his son, identified as B, in the face, head and side multiple times at his home in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Feb. 18 last year. B suffered injuries requiring two weeks of recovery, according to the court.
The assault occurred after B, who had come over to visit, entered the bathroom while still wearing his shoes, angering A, investigators found.
A also told other visiting friends never to come to his house again. When another 14-year-old, identified as C, returned later, A allegedly swore at him and slapped him across the face. Two days later, when C came back again, A slapped him twice more, investigators found.
In a separate incident, A repeatedly struck the back of the head of a fourth 14-year-old, identified as D, causing injury, while D was arguing with A's son.
Investigators found that A harbored ill feelings toward the boys, believing they had been bullying his son by taking his shoes, clothes and other belongings.
The court suspended the fine, citing mitigating circumstances in the motive for the crime and A's sincere remorse.
"The suspended sentence reflects cases where there are particularly compelling mitigating factors in the motive, as well as sincere remorse," the court said in its ruling.
