9-yr prison terms sought for 2 Liberian officials for raping teenagers in Busan
PHOTO: Busan District Court (Yonhap)
Story culled from YONAP NEWS AGENCY
https://m-en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230314007700315?fbclid=IwAR0a0Vp0Pq3qY47WxahS4S6JI_fUKJqFSh1f0qrLssim7GmOj4oHAeI83zo
BUSAN, March 14 (Yonhap) — Prosecutors have sought nine-year prison terms for two Liberian government officials charged with raping two South Korean teenage girls while visiting the port city of Busan to attend an international event, sources said Tuesday.
The two in their 50s and 30s, respectively, were charged with enticing two female middle school students near Busan Station into their hotel room on the evening of Sept. 22, 2022, and raping them.
They allegedly lured the teenagers by promising to treat them to alcohol and food, and demanded sexual intercourse through smartphone translation services, according to investigations.
The victims refused and left the room, but the men brought them back and raped them.
The Liberians were also charged with confining the victims for about 20 minutes in the hotel room while blocking the entrance of the victims’ acquaintances who came over to help the victims later that evening.
The accused were visiting Busan to attend the 2022 Korea Maritime Week, an event jointly organized by South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the International Maritime Organization.
The two had claimed diplomatic immunity, but police concluded they are not entitled to protection under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations because they did not hold the status of diplomats assigned to work in South Korea.