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Former national coach Cho Jae-beom, who has been on trial for sexual offenses against short track skater Shim Suk-hee for more than three years, has been sentenced to a heavier sentence in the appeals court than in the first trial. The court denounced Cho's change of position in the appeals trial, calling it a second offense against the victim.
Reporter Hong Seung-yeon reports.
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Former coach Jo
Jae-
beom immediately appealed when he was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in the first trial in January.
From the beginning of the investigation, Cho has denied sexual relations with Shim Suk-hee.
However, the Court of Appeal changed its position.
He claimed that it was consensual sex because he had a rational affinity for Shim.
This claim was poisonous to Mr. Cho.
The court said, "Despite the victim's strong denial, he has not been able to properly explain the circumstances of the reversal of the statement and has not submitted any related materials," and criticized Cho's allegation as a 'second offense' against Shim.
In addition, Cho was sentenced to 13 years in prison, two years and six months longer than the original trial.
The court also stated that the reason for the sentencing was that the defendant's crime was not light, using the fact that the victim had no choice but to follow the leader himself.
[Lim Sang-hyeok / Shim Suk-hee's lawyer: I never even expressed my apologies to the victim. Even now, I look a bit remorseful. And to show a little apology... .]
Cho was handed over to trial on charges of habitually raping and molesting Shim Suk-hee for three years since 2014, when he was a high school student.
Cho's crime became known when Shim Seok-hee, who had the courage to say, 'This should never happen again', revealed it in 2019.
(Video editing: Hongmyeong Lee)