It was additionally confirmed that the Air Force Prosecutor, who was initially handed over the case related to the sexual harassment victim, the Air Force noncommissioned officer, took it easy, such as not investigating the perpetrator once for two months.
In addition, the Air Force designated a military judge as a public defender immediately after reporting the victim, and the public defender in question also implied an 'extreme choice', and it was revealed that the victim was virtually neglected.
Early next week, the bereaved family plans to file additional complaints against the public defender of the Air Force on charges of negligence, etc.
According to a military official today (6th), the military police of the 20th Fighter Wing of the Air Force forwarded the case to the 20th Wing Military Prosecutor's Office on April 7th, about a month after Sgt. Lee reported the sexual harassment damage in early March. .
However, it was identified on the 31st of last month, 55 days after the Air Force Prosecutor's Office, who took over the case, conducted the first suspect investigation against the perpetrator, Sgt.
after the victim's death.
Even this, it is known that the first investigation was scheduled after the 4th of this month, but was moved forward when the victim was found dead.
Sgt. Jang's cell phone was also obtained late on the same day.
In relation to this, the Office of National Power Rep. Lee Chae-ik said, "(Sgt. Jang) was able to sufficiently delete contents that were unfavorable to me," said the military prosecutor, who was issued a search warrant for cell phone seizure, found that Sgt. and pinched.
The Air Force Prosecutor's Office usually starts investigating the victim and then proceeds with the investigation of the perpetrator, but it is reported that the investigation of the perpetrator was delayed sequentially as the victim investigation schedule was delayed due to the psychological instability of Sergeant Lee.
This means that there were no procedural problems.
However, from the time of the military police investigation, the claims of the victim and the perpetrator had already diverged sharply, and on April 15, right after the case was sent, the victim even sent a text message to the military sexual grievance counselor implying an 'extreme choice'.
As the victim's testimony was secured in the initial investigation by the military police, it is pointed out that the worst situation could have been prevented if the military prosecutor had first investigated the perpetrators and witnesses.
It is also possible to guess how easily the Air Force Prosecutor's Office dealt with the sexual harassment case.
Criticism is raised that this case also revealed loopholes in the military authorities' public defender system.
On March 9, six days after the report of sexual harassment was formally received, the Air Force's legal office is known to have designated a military judge belonging to the Air Force Headquarters' legal office as a public defender.
According to the order of the Ministry of National Defense, lawyers, military judges, and military judges belonging to other military units can all be included in the 'Public Attorney Pool', but the Air Force is operating the system by designating three public defenders from the law office in turn. passed on.
As a result, a military judge who is in the same office as the military prosecutor's office was appointed as a public defender, and it is questionable whether he can properly assist the victims.
In fact, the public defender did not have a single interview until the death of Sergeant Lee, a military official said.
Phone calls were also made for the first time in 50 days of appointment.
According to the Air Force, the public defense attorney for Sergeant Lee was unable to conduct the interview smoothly due to personal circumstances such as marriage, honeymoon, and self-quarantine after being appointed.
Although the Air Force later designated an additional public defender, the sergeant was found dead shortly thereafter.
The bereaved family is responding by hiring a private lawyer right after the death of the sergeant.
The family is preparing further complaints on this matter.