Miryang Gang Rape Perpetrators Exposed Without Victim’s Consent, YouTuber Refuses To Take Down Videos
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The horrific Miryang gang rape case has recently resurfaced in the public discourse after a YouTuber revealed the identities of some of the alleged perpetrators. But a local women’s rights group has opposed this move, stating that the victim never consented to this exposé.
The 2004 case involved 44 high school students who were accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old over a year. It was also alleged that the victim’s sister and cousin were also sexually assaulted.
On June 6, KST, the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, an NGO that has been supporting the main victim of this case, put out an official statement negating the YouTuber’s claim that they had “communicated with the victim’s family via mail and agreed to reveal (identity) of all 44” as untrue. According to the organization, the victim was completely unaware of the disclosure until the first YouTube video was posted. The YouTuber never reached out to her to obtain consent.
Both the KSVRC and the victim express concern for unilaterally decided uploading of the videos and the race to get more views, which is far from honoring the victim’s wishes or helping her get back to a normal life.
— Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center
Though KSVRC urged the YouTuber to delete the videos, a few hours after the organization’s press release, the YouTuber only deleted the notice on their channel, which claimed they had received consent from the victim’s family. The videos remain on the channel.
As of May 6, KST, four men suspected to be the perpetrators in the Miryang gang rape case have had their identities revealed by the YouTuber. Two of them lost their jobs, while another was temporarily relieved of his duties.
You can read more about the case here.
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