On Wednesday, October 25, the Supreme Court allowed the Attorney General’s appeal to move forward, aiming to condemn a Sri Lankan national who was found not guilty of raping an 18-year-old in Korea in 1998.
Following review of the information provided by Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Nawana before the three-judge Supreme Court bench made up of Justices S. Thurairajah, Shiran Gooneratne, and Janak de Silva, the pertinent conclusion was made.
Jeong Eun-Hui, a Korean university student, was raped in 1998 while travelling home from a late-night party in Daegu, South Korea, by three Sri Lankan men who were living in Korea.
Even though Korean authorities were only able to collect DNA evidence against one of the three males, the DNA profile was then stored away because, according to the Korean National Forensic Service, it belonged to a “unknown criminal” until 2013, when the investigation was reopened.
Later, it was discovered that the suspect was facing a trial in South Korea for allegedly attempting a sexual encounter with a juvenile in 2010.
Because South Korean law stipulates that a rape charge must be lodged within ten years of the incident, he and the other two attackers were later cleared of all charges related to the rape of Jeong Eun-Hui.
