SEOUL: A South Korean court has acquitted a woman who was convicted six decades ago for defending herself against a sexual assault.
Choi Mal-ja was 19 years old in 1964 when a 21-year-old man attacked her in the southern town of Gimhae.
The aggressor pinned her to the ground and repeatedly forced his tongue into her mouth while blocking her nose to prevent breathing.
Choi managed to break free by biting off approximately 1.5 centimetres of the man’s tongue during the assault.
Her attacker received a six-month suspended prison sentence for trespassing and intimidation without an attempted rape conviction.
Choi was instead convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and given a 10-month suspended sentence in 1965.
The Busan District Court ruled on Wednesday that her actions constituted justifiable self-defence under South Korean law.
The court stated that Choi’s actions represented an attempt to escape an unjust infringement on her bodily integrity and sexual self-determination.
This decision overturns the original 1965 ruling that found her actions had exceeded reasonable bounds of permissible self-defence.
Choi’s case gained renewed attention decades later following the global #MeToo movement that began in 2017.
Massive women’s rights protests in South Korea have recently achieved victories on issues including abortion access and spycam crime penalties.
Choi filed for a retrial in 2020 after being inspired by these social movements to seek justice.
Lower courts initially rejected her petition before South Korea‘s top court ordered a retrial in 2024.
The now 79-year-old woman told reporters in July that the state had made her live as a criminal for 61 years.
She expressed hope that future generations could live in a world free from sexual violence where they enjoy human rights and happiness. – AFP
