Image for illustrative purposes [123RF]
Image for illustrative purposes [123RF]

A teenage boy reported to police for exchanging intimate photos with a girl died after falling from the rooftop of his home following a police search of his residence.

The family of the victim, identified only as A, who was 17 at the time of his death, filed a 300 million won ($210,000) damages lawsuit in June against the government and two Songpa Police Station officers who carried out the search, according to the Kyunghyang Shinmun on Tuesday.

The family contends that A took his own life as a result of coercive conduct by police during the search.

The case began last year when A and a girl identified as B, then 16, exchanged photos of their bodies via Instagram direct messages. B had found A's Instagram account and initiated contact. After A sent her a photo of himself, B reciprocated with a video, and the two exchanged explicit photos and videos on a couple of occasions. When B's parents learned of the exchanges, they filed a complaint against A in April last year under the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse.

Five officers from Songpa Police Station visited A's home in July of that year to execute a search warrant. It was a Sunday morning, and A, who had just woken up, answered the door and told officers that only he and his older sister were home. An investigator asked him to wake his sister, saying she was an adult, then explained the warrant to her. Officers called A's parents and held off on the search until they arrived. Once the parents got there, police searched the home for about an hour before leaving. That evening, at around 9:20 p.m., A fell from the rooftop of his home and died.

The family later asked the investigative team what had been said to A while his parents were absent. The officers said little of note had been discussed. The family then reviewed footage from a home security camera that had recorded the exchange between A and the officers.

In the footage, one officer can be heard telling A: "You know what you did was wrong, right? This is a serious offense. Are there so many you can't even remember? She's not the only one, is she?"

The family's legal representative said the officers "repeatedly made one-sided statements presuming guilt while alone with a minor, without his legal guardians present and without even informing him of his right to remain silent," adding that the conduct "constitutes coercive behavior explicitly prohibited under the rules on human rights protection in investigations, and is a direct violation of the duty of care and protection required when questioning a minor."

If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare's helpline 1393, available 24/7. Please request a translator for English-language services.


husn7@heraldcorp.com