Man in his 30s “Please find my missing daughter”…the ugly truth behind the story
- allforyouclick
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- on Jun 11, 2023
On June 9, 2012, an online site posted an article titled “Search for missing college student”. It sought the whereabouts of a 19-year-old woman, Ms먹튀검증. A. The post included her demographic details and a photo of her face.
“My daughter, who went to Gongdeok Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul to work part-time, disappeared on the 5th of this month with her cell phone turned off, but the police say it’s a simple runaway and to just wait and see. My wife (in shock) tried to commit suicide and fell into a coma.”
The post quickly went viral on social media and was widely reported by major media outlets. In reality, Mr. A had been reported missing by his mother five days earlier. People believed the story and criticized the police.
On the afternoon of June 10, the day after the post, the police said that Ms. A was confirmed to be at her maternal grandmother’s house in Gyeonggi Province. “It is said that Ms. A cut off contact because she did not want to enter the house due to a domestic dispute,” the police said, adding, “As her physical safety is confirmed, we will finalize the case as a simple runaway.”
Repeated sexual abuse over 6 years… Mother also neglected the abuse
As it was known as a ‘simple runaway case’, there were posts criticizing A on social media. As her story gained traction in various media, she eventually returned home voluntarily on the afternoon of the 10th under pressure.
What seemed to be a happy ending began to unravel a day later, on the 11th, when police made an emergency arrest of Mr. Kim Mo, 36, the cohabiting husband of Mr. Kim’s mother. Mr. Kim was the one who had posted about Ms. A’s disappearance.
Mr. Kim Mo, a man who abused his live-in girlfriend’s teenage daughter for years. (Photo: Newsis)
Mr. Kim’s crimes were discovered after Ms. A reported the abuse on the day she returned home. After questioning her about her whereabouts and why she ran away, Kim angrily grabbed her hair and cut off about 20 centimeters with scissors. With the help of her friends, A left the house that day and reported Kim to the police.
The police said, “While investigating the circumstances of Ms. A’s runaway, we found out that Mr. Kim had been abusive to Ms. A for many years. From the time she was reported missing, there were many suspicious things about Kim and her mother,” the police said.
The details of the abuse were shocking. Kim had gotten to know Ms. B about six years ago and had lived with her since February 2006, when she ran away to escape her husband’s domestic violence. Soon after, A, then a middle school student, came to visit her mother.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was the breadwinner, Mr. Kim repeatedly sexually abused A, a middle school student, by demanding sex from her shortly after they moved in together. He threatened to withdraw financial support for A and her mother if she did not comply with his demands. Ms. A was afraid that she would not be able to live with her mother if she went to the police.
Two years later, in 2008, Ms. A told her mother, Ms. B, about the sexual abuse, but Ms. B only told Ms. Kim “not to have sex” with her, did not take any protective measures, and effectively allowed the sexual abuse to continue. Even after Mr. Kim was arrested, Mr. B continued to support Mr. Kim and blame his daughter A for his behavior.
Criticizing the law for “blaming the victim without serious reflection”
Kim’s abuse continued into adulthood. When Ms. A got a job after high school and lived in the company’s dormitory, Kim coercively controlled her personal life. Ms. Kim pressured Ms. A to quit her job after three months because she was dating another man. A ran away from home because she was unable to withstand the abuse.
Mr. Kim was eventually arrested and brought to trial on charges of violating the Sexual Protection of Young Persons Act and assault. However, he showed no remorse, making excuses such as, “It was all done because the victim, A, wanted it,” and “I was actually promised to marry A.”
In December 2012, the Court of First Instance sentenced Kim to six years in prison and ordered him to disclose his identity for five years, saying, “Considering that he blamed the victim for being helpless rather than sincerely reflecting on his wrongdoing based on the truth, his crime is very bad and deserves to be strictly punished.”
“Mr. Kim abused the victim by taking advantage of her residence in his home to live with her mother, who was financially unable to support her, and the victim has lived for six years in a state of despair due to the constant harassment, which has caused mental damage that is difficult to erase,” the first instance court noted.
Kim appealed the first court’s ruling, arguing that he “did not commit sexual abuse.” However, in June 2013, the second court ruled that “the first sentence was too light and unjust,” and sentenced Kim to seven years in prison, ordered her to complete a 40-hour sexual assault treatment program, and disclose her identity for seven years.
“As a result of Mr. Kim’s abusive behavior, the victim lost her precious and protected adolescence from the age of 13 to 19, when she should have been nurturing her dreams, and the resulting mental and physical pain continues to this day,” the second court said, “yet Mr. Kim continues to make excuses and show his obsession with the victim without any sincere remorse.” The sentence was upheld. The sentence was upheld.