US EditionWoman who bit off attacker's tongue acquitted after 61 years
Choi Mal-ja's conviction was overturned after a retrial inspired by the #MeToo movement, marking a legal recognition of self-defence in sexual assault cases in South Korea.
- On Wednesday, the Busan District Court overturned Choi Mal-ja's 1965 conviction, ruling her actions `constitute justifiable self-defence` amid the #MeToo movement's renewed attention.
- Choi's campaign, spurred by the #MeToo movement, led her to file for retrial in 2020 after gathering evidence since 2018, culminating in South Korea's top court granting it in December 2024.
- Court records show the attacker, a 21-year-old man, pinned Choi Mal-Ja in Gimhae and she broke free by biting off about 1.5 centimetres of his tongue, receiving a six-month sentence.
- Prosecutors in the retrial apologised and urged the court to quash the conviction, while Song Ran-hee said the verdict legitimises women's defensive acts and Korea Women's Hotline called Wednesday's decision a pathway to justice.
- The ruling positions Choi's case as a key legal example, cited in South Korean legal textbooks, alongside the 1988 Andong and 2020 Busan cases that reflect evolving recognition of self-defence in sexual violence.
45 Articles
45 Articles
A South Korean court has overturned the more than six-decade-old conviction of a woman who defended herself from sexual assault when she was 19. Choi Mal-ja, now 79, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm in 1965 for biting off part of her attacker's tongue. This time, the court ruled that it was justified self-defense.
South Korean Choi Mal-ja, who was convicted as a youth for biting off her sexual attacker's tongue in self-defense, has been acquitted after 61 years.
Landmark retrial: South Korean woman cleared 61 years later for biting attempted rapist’s tongue
SEOUL, Sept 10 — A South Korean court acquitted on Wednesday a woman convicted six decades ago for defending herself against sexual violence, after she challenged the ruling inspired by the country’s #MeToo movement.Choi Mal-ja was 19 in 1964 when she was attacked by a 21-year-old man in the southern town of Gimhae.He pinned her to the ground and repeatedly forced his tongue into her mouth, at one point blocking her nose to stop her from breathi…
Choi Mal-ja, who was attacked at 19, managed to break out of a man's grip by cutting a part of his tongue. She was sentenced to ten months' imprisonment for this.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
