The 23-year-old U.S. soldier accused of raping—repeatedly—a 67-year-old woman in Seoul said during his hearing today that he was too drunk to remember what he did, but if the woman’s testimony is true, he would apologize for everything and pay restitution to the victim. He also said he would get help for an alcohol problem.
Note to Accused: Dude, do you realize what, exactly, you are being accused of? If the victim’s testimony is true, you’ll be doing more than just apologizing and paying restitution—you’ll be going to jail for a very long time. Better start getting your mail forwarded to Cheonan.
Anyway, the soldier—whom Yonhap names but I won’t—is apparently based at Camp Casey in Dongducheon. He and his friends were visiting Seoul for the night—initially, they tried to get a room at the Dragon Hill Lodge, but there were no vacancies, so they hit the clubs in front of Hongik University instead, where he got very, very trashed. Even after he and his battle buddies split up, he continued to drink at a local “supermarket.”
Asked if he remembers—oh, let’s see—beating and raping an elderly Korean woman, he said he couldn’t remember a thing. He did say, however, that he remembers being frightened after he saw the cop, was placed in handcuffs and people began to surround him.
The accused wrote a 1-page letter of apology at the police station and sent it to the victim through his lawyer.
The soldier said that he actually likes to help people and that he’s not a violent man, but he was so drunk he lost his senses. He said he dishonored the victim, himself, his family and his nation, and he asked for forgiveness.
He apparently ended his statement by asking for forgiveness once again and saying that he was originally scheduled to end his tour of duty in Korea later this month, after which he was supposed to head home to get married, but now he would remain in Korea to pay for his crime.
Well, aren’t you quite the pillar of responsibility, now.
If anyone’s got the full statement—and it was a public hearing, in accordance with SOFA regulations—I’d love to read it.
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44 Comments
Well, one thing is crystal clear: he was drunk enough to write a semi-confession the police put in front of him as a letter to the victim. Smart police. Stupid defendant.
“Geronimo!”, he cried, before unleashing his alcohol-fueled debauchery upon an unsuspecting civilian populace.
Naughty Dogbert.
Why are you picking on me? I didn’t get trashed and rape a grandmother, creating an international incident that the rest of us Americans should not have to suffer for.
I’m not picking on you, just your Almond Tease-esque comment (which is actually kinda funny, but in a mean-spirited way). :razzed:
Apologize for EVERYTHING and pay restitution!
hahahaha
Is that his personal reaction?
hahahaha
What would cause a rapist to say something like that?
He’s a rapist! He’s totally fucked up! Who the fuck cares about his apology? What the fuck does that matter?
hahaha
I hope he likes Kimchi. I sense he is going to be eating it daily for a long time.
Kimchi won’t be the only thing he’ll be eating…
Yeah, but here it’s not the big wurst, just the Viennas
like what i said, a classic case of beer goggles…
To paraphrase what I said at the Nomad’s, a “classic case of beer googles” is waking up the next morning next to an ugly chick. This guy allegedly raped a Korean grandmother. Just want to avoid trivializing what happened.
lighten seoul (and washinton’s) load with humor, me tried to do, chief.
everyone’s a bid sensitive with the issue, so let’s leave it at that. *cozies up to the ajumma next door*
There are a lot of jokes built into this..3 times in 40 minutes, etc…
But it’s not the right time for that. The maniac raped my grandmother! He’s finished! No question’s asked in my opinion, he deserves the rubber hose. Don’t kill him, just beat him bad. I can’t believe the guy said he will pay restitution…what an insult. Imagine if your grandmother was raped by this guy and he offered money!
Take the money, and then castrate him.
More details will come out in the trial which will be open to the public according to some news sources. I, however, am of an opinion that no rape took place.
This guy may be truly drunk. He probably have punched the old lady. He might even tore up her clothes. But she was screaming and fighting. And, she works as a (street?)cleaning lady. She was heading back home after her shift. She may be in good physical condition.
While he should be punished for assault, perhaps no rape may have taken place.
Hey Baduk,
no offence intended, but let us wait and see until the facts fully emerge.
Otherwise we might all be looking foolish afterwards…
so, it was never quite explained to me. Do heterosexual males in Korean prisons engage in homosexual acts, as implied by the Marmot and the Sprewer?
Or is that a US prison thing only?
Sorry, never been to prison. I just know that gettings HIV in a Korean prison was kind of unheard of, but then again HIV was rare before the 90’s as well.
I’m no specialist in homosexual rape in prisons (thank God!), but I think it’s a phenomenon not restricted to the US. The racial element might make it more usual in America, but it probably happens everywhere.
I could be wrong, and the lawyers who read here at the Marmot’s can correct me if I am, but I believe the apology and quickly saying you will pay restitution is following the norm in Korea’s legal/social system.
It would not suprise me if it is even standard, generic advice USFK gives any soldier accused of a crime. (I am assuming here that USFK would provide some kind of legal advice from the start - no matter how screwed up the person’s (alleged) crimes are or how guilty they appear to be — since we have the idea of Maranda (sp?) Warnings and everybody is entitled to a defense and so on in American legal culture).
I am pretty sure the apology and statement about restitution is what a Korean lawyer would tell them to say.
And GIs accused of crimes not apologizing has been used a good number of times in the early reporting of cases to express/stoke Korean society’s anger over the crime itself.
However, I have also heard Koreans react to the amount of money offered or the fact money was offered the same way the quote above did - with disdain - but it never made sense to me (beyond the guy being a foreigner and GI), because it is pretty much what I’ve read done by Korean suspects in the news….like I said, I always thought it was standard practice in the Korean system.
You are correct. Whoever was advising that soldier, did a good job. Offer of apology and restitution may help influencing the Korean judge when it comes to sentencing. I predict he will get 2 years in the Korean prison for foreign criminals, if even that.
Baduk wrote:
Fantasy replied:
I agree, Fantasy, but that works both ways. The soldier was caught attacking the woman by a police officer; however, we should not accept as fact every detail printed in the press. In Korea, I was cornered twice by drunk Korean men, and it didn’t take much fancy footwork to make a getaway. Drunks are clumsy and slow to react.
And let me add that even an attempted rape is traumatic enough and whatever the guy is guilty of, he belongs behind bars.
Sperwer from Korea (South) :
Yeah, but here it’s not the big wurst, just the Viennas
And you know this how?
Sperwer is a martial-arts gym rat.
That’s 사부님 to you 메뚜기.
And yeah, I’ve been asked to wear my shorts into the sauna where I work out so the locals don’t lose face.
And yeah, I’ve been asked to wear my shorts into the sauna where I work out so the locals don’t lose face.
Why? Where you constantly getting a woody pecker in there? If so, then the concern of the locals is quite understandable.
My comment section never ceases to amaze me…
Well, Robert, at least it’s free of gender bias — we have discussions of both female _and_ male genitalia.
I think wjk might get sucked into the lifestyle if he is not careful.
He’s scheduled to get married as soon as he returns home… in a month? Maybe he’s trying to avoid marriage…?
I never imagined I’d be saying this, and my imagination is good and highly active, but — a kudo for you bluejives. Good comment…
P.S.
I’ve got a photo of me online if you want to use it as your gravatar since Matt stole yours (with permission)….
For some reason (beyond my understanding too) trust that the press in Korea and police would not have reported it as a rape if they did not have hard evidence. I guess like Baduk says, we will see during teh trial, but usually police will have some sort of evidence to base a statemone on (other than the grandma’s statement). At any rate, this ought to be interesting, because it is the first soldier handled under the new SOFA agreement.
Why? Where you constantly getting a woody pecker in there?
I never imagined I’d be saying this, and my imagination is good and highly active, but — a kudo for you bluejives. Good comment…
It was clever however; I am surprised the arch-English teachers (zealots) did not jump all over it!
Are you saying theirs are not only small but flaccid as well. In VN, the Blue Dragons liked to say ours were longer, but theirs were harder; but I guess the truth will out. Thanks for verifying what Korean scientists have been saying about the longterm effect of so much tofu in the Korean diet.
Bipolar Mindscrew,
You hit on the good point and a possible solution to this dilemma.
USFK should do some “wag the dog” or “spin” and bring the fiancee to Korea. Give her some acting lesson and a movie director can accompany her.
I can just see it now. She kneels before the halmony and say,”please forgive my fiancee. You know how men become dogs when they get drunk.” And, the halmony says,”Yeah, I know. My ex beat me when he got drunk as did my father. OK, I forgive him”.
And, Korean public eats it up. Even a movie may be made. A fiancee saving her man, forgiving his erratic ways, while “A Good-hearted Woman in love with a Two-timing man” playing in the background.
It may even sell in the States.
I don’t think that one is true. When was the last time the SOFA was revised concerning crimes? The last I remember was 2002-2003 or so, and there have been plenty of crimes handled under that revision.
I would also question what you mean by it. The latest revision didn’t do much to change the basic flow of these cases. It specified, if I remember correctly, that the Korean authorities could gain custody of suspects before trial. Koreans and others can debate whether that is a major change or not. The out come since the changes have been exactly the same as it was before: 100% GI conviction rate.
my boyfriend is in the same unit in korea as the guy that raped this women and according to him all the accusations are true
starz_lie wrote:
Was your boyfriend there at the scene? Did he witness it? Your hearsay reminds me of all those internet rumors that spread around after the tank accident. On message boards, some Koreans claimed that they were KATUSAS who had overheard the GIs gloating over the girls’ deaths.
Hey Sonagi, when did the guy who relies on Amazon blurbs for information about the location of a bamboo grove, among other things, suddenly get so picky about hearsay? ;))
Kind of unusual that CID hasn’t been allowed to meet with the soldier after he was handed over to the Koreans. So far only his lawyer has seen him. Case is potentially too explosive for USFK to raise an objection that this runs contrary to the SOFA.
BTW, 2ID is getting locked down. Protesting bar owners in TDC is preferable to the masses outside Yongsan’s main gate.
Sperwer wrote:
Cute. I was expecting that, but since you studied law, you ought to recognize the difference between the description of a setting in a book review and a claim to have “inside information” that an accused yet unconvicted person is guilty. A newspaper wouldn’t get sued for incorrect details in a book review, but it might if it printed remarks like Starz’ in a crime story.
perhaps Burwell B. Bell could institute a new policy of deterrence. Private Rapist, meet Madame Petite Guillotine. Bonjour! shwack…
2 Trackbacks
[...] A few days ago, Occidentalism posted this absolutely priceless flowchart that is too telling by half about how some Koreans tend to scapegoat their way through real problems. I suppose the temptation to pin blame on others is human nature; that temptation is at its greatest when a solution to the underlying problem seems beyond reach. Witness the finger-pointing that followed last October’s nuke test (and the notable absence of constructive proposals accompanying it). I shouldn’t miss this opportunity to plug OFK’s own OhMyNews Scale, which is accurate to within one standard deviation in predicting public outrage on the Korean Street. It’s certainly more accurate than the use of logic alone. As soon as we have some idea of what actually happened here we’ll be able to test its accuracy again. My gut, working with a few years of experience, tells me that we know very little except that the guy should fire his lawyer, that an apology will mean little to anyone — especially the victim – that all American soldiers will end up paying the price for this, and that this will be an election-year gift to the members of Il Shim Hue who have gone to ground. [...]
[...] Update to the update: The Marmot translated a piece from Yonhap which sheds a bit more light on this. [...]