Defendants admit approaching children but deny any intent to abduct; prosecutors added child abuse charges

Suspects in the Seodaemun elementary school abduction attempt [Yonhap]
Suspects in the Seodaemun elementary school abduction attempt [Yonhap]

The defendants in an attempted abduction near an elementary school in Hongneun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, denied all charges at their first trial hearing Friday.

Judge Kim Min-jeong of the Seoul Western District Court presided over the opening hearing for Kim, 26, and Park, 26, who were indicted on charges of attempted enticement of a minor and child abuse under the Child Welfare Act.

Both defendants denied all charges against them.

Prosecutors outlined the case, saying the two had decided to lure elementary school students into their vehicle and, on Aug. 28 last year, spotted children walking along the street and told them, "You're cute. We'll give you a ride home," in an attempt to get them into the car. The attempt failed when the children refused and fled the scene.

Defense attorneys for Kim and Park told reporters after the hearing that their clients acknowledged the basic facts — that they had approached and spoken to the children — but insisted there had been no intent to lure or abduct them. "It was just a prank," the attorneys said.

The two are accused of slowly driving near the elementary school in Hongneun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, on Aug. 28 last year and approaching students on their way home from school three times in an attempt to entice them. The students ran away in fright, and no actual abduction took place.

A report of the attempted abduction was filed with police at the time, but officers reviewed only the closed-circuit television footage around the school and concluded it was a false alarm.

After the school sent a notice to parents warning of the attempted abduction and anxiety spread through the local community, the Seodaemun Police Station reviewed the CCTV footage again, identified three men in their 20s behaving suspiciously and arrested them on an emergency basis.

About seven months after the incident, police referred Kim and Park to prosecutors on March 16 on charges of attempted enticement of a minor without seeking their detention. The third suspect was not referred, as police determined his involvement had been minimal.

During the investigation, police sought arrest warrants for Kim and Park, but the court rejected the requests, saying there was "room for dispute over the facts of the charges and intent."

The Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office, which took over the case, conducted a supplementary investigation — including a review of CCTV records — and added child abuse charges before indicting the two.


kido@heraldcorp.com