A court [Yonhap]
A court [Yonhap]

A woman in her 20s who filed a false rape report after consensual sex has been sentenced to prison.

Judge Kim Ju-hyun of the Chungju Branch of Cheongju District Court sentenced the woman, identified only as A, to one year in prison on charges of filing a false report, the court announced Sunday. A had been indicted without detention.

A was brought to trial on charges of calling 112 — South Korea's police emergency line — with a false report after having consensual sex with a man she met through a chat app in April last year. She claimed the man had threatened her to repay money he had lent her and then raped her six times.

The court rejected her account based on social media messages exchanged between the two. "The conversations between the two around the time the defendant claimed she was raped read like natural exchanges between lovers or friends," Judge Kim said. "It is difficult to find any indication that she was under the control of threats or coercion."

Also factored into the ruling was A's use of the man's credit card beyond its permitted purpose and her theft of 45,000 won ($334) in cash from his wallet, even as she alleged a financial dispute. "The defendant claimed the victim raped her using a financial dispute as a pretext, yet after borrowing money she used his credit card beyond its permitted purpose and stole 45,000 won from his wallet," the court said. "The victim only told her in anger to stop contacting him — he never demanded money from her."

The court also weighed the seriousness of the false report and A's attitude in determining the sentence. "A rape conviction carries an expectation of severe punishment, and even being indicted on sex crime charges alone causes serious damage to one's social reputation," Judge Kim said. "Nevertheless, the defendant continues to deny the offense and shows no remorse, and the victim has also petitioned for a harsh sentence."


bbo@heraldcorp.com