Judge Kim Young-gyu of Southern Seoul District Court handed down a six-month prison sentence to a defendant, identified only by his family name Kim, who had been indicted without detention for groping a woman on a subway. The court also directed that he be detained right away.

Up till now, it has been practice to sentence those found guilty of groping women in public places like subways or concert halls to fines or suspended sentences.

"The defendant committed a grave offense by committing an intentional crime against a woman on a crowded subway, pretending that it was an accident, taking advantage of the sense of shame of the woman, the weaker party," said the judge. "Though this is the first offense for the defendant, a prison sentence is unavoidable since he denies his crime and shows no signs of reflection." He added that it was necessary to send a warning to those who grope women on subways, taking advantage of the fact that many victims will not report it due to their sense of shame.

Kim was charged with having touched the private parts of a 23-year-old woman by sticking his hand up her skirt as he stood behind her on a crowded subway car in December.

"It is difficult to uncover acts of groping against women because they are hard to verify and such cases are seldom reported," commented Lee Mee-kyung, director of the Korea Sexual Attack Consultation Center. "The ruling this time around is exceptional in that it has recognized a woman's right of self-determination on sexual matters, and that it has sent a warning to the practice of handing down light sentences like fines to gropers."

(englishnews@chosun.com )