Court cites mental illness diagnosis records

'Cannot conclude she knowingly deceived police,' judge says

Court [Herald DB]
Court [Herald DB]

A woman in her 30s charged with obstruction of official duties after repeatedly making false emergency calls claiming she had been stabbed has been acquitted.

Judge Kim Hee-dong of Uijeongbu District Court's Criminal Division 3 handed down a not-guilty verdict for the woman, identified only as A, who had been indicted without detention on charges of obstructing official duties, according to Yonhap.

A called 112 at around 8:40 p.m. on Aug. 20 last year from an apartment in Uijeongbu, reporting that someone had come with a knife and stabbed her, that her stomach hurt, and that the attacker had just left through the door.

Seven officers from a nearby police substation rushed to her home in response. Upon arrival, however, they found no evidence that she had actually been stabbed.

A had reportedly made multiple emergency calls before the incident. Investigators also found that she had made another call around 6:10 p.m. the same day, claiming someone had entered her home.

She was indicted on charges of deceiving officers through false reports and obstructing their handling of emergency calls.

The court ruled that it could not conclude A had knowingly made false reports to deceive the officers.

"A was diagnosed with a mental illness at two medical institutions after the incident, and for the earlier 112 call that same day, an officer had noted in the record that 'the caller genuinely believed the man from the downstairs unit had entered her residence,'" the court said. "Police also confirmed with A's husband that her symptoms had begun four years earlier."

The court added that obstruction of official duties by deception requires proof that the defendant deliberately caused a misunderstanding, mistake, or lack of awareness in order to achieve her purpose. "Based solely on the evidence submitted, it cannot be said that it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was aware her reports were false and thereby caused the officers to be misled or mistaken," the court said in explaining its reasoning.


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