Investigation failures exposed after a 19-year-old woman died just three days after police cleared her boss of rape charges. The woman fell from a building in Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province on February 21. She left a suicide note and submitted an objection to the police shortly before her death.
The incident occurred in the early hours of December 28 at the bar where she worked. She had gotten drunk while drinking with the suspect after closing up. At around 2 p.m., she accused her boss of quasi-rape, a term defined as sexual intercourse when the victim is incapacitated. The woman’s blood alcohol content shortly after the incident measured 0.85 percent.
Police cleared the charges on February 14 without conducting any further interview with the victim. Officials cited surveillance footage showing the two laughing and talking together after the intercourse. The boss also claimed the encounter was consensual.
The bereaved family accused police of conducting an insufficient investigation. They claimed officers disregarded key evidence, including a text message sent immediately after the incident. In that message, she said her boss attacked her and that she wanted to die. Another message sent 11 days before the alleged attack stated that the boss was sexually harassing her.
The case has now transferred to the prosecution. Prosecutors requested that police find additional evidence and conduct further interviews with related parties. Police have maintained that criminal charges were not warranted. They argued that the victim’s testimony clashed with objective evidence, including security camera footage. The prosecution will now determine whether to pursue charges against the boss.
