Convicted South Korean woman who bit off attacker’s tongue in 1964 granted retrial after 60 years | Trending

Nearly 60 years after being convicted for defending herself against an attempted rape, a South Korean woman is set to challenge her verdict. Choi Mal-ja, now 78, was just 18 when she bit off part of her attacker’s tongue to break free. Despite acting in self-defence, she was found guilty of aggravated bodily injury and handed a suspended 10-month jail sentence. The Supreme Court observed that Choi might have been unlawfully detained .(Pexel) According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Choi initially sought a retrial from the Busan Drict Court, which had convicted her in the 1960s. However, her request was rejected due to a lack of evidence proving her innocence. She then appealed to the Busan High Court, which also dismissed her plea. It was only after she took her case to the Supreme Court that the High Court was ordered to review it again. The Supreme Court observed that Choi might have been unlawfully detained during the investigation in 1964 and 1965. “There are enough grounds to believe that there had been unlawful arrest and detention without warrant, as dictated the Criminal Procedure Act,” the Busan court stated. The attack The attack took place near Choi’s home on May 6, 1964, when a 21-year-old man named Noh attempted to rape her. In an effort to escape, she bit off 1.5 cm of his tongue. While Choi received a harsher punishment, Noh was sentenced to six months in jail with a two-year suspension. Speaking to The Korea Herald in 2020, Choi recalled being pressured the prosecutor to marry her attacker. “I said I did nothing wrong, and [the prosecutor] said if I didn’t comply, I would have to spend the rest of my life in jail,” she stated. Her father was forced to spend the family’s savings on a settlement with Noh, but the harassment did not stop. The man later broke into their home and threatened Choi and her ser with a knife. Years later, Choi pursued higher education and gained a deeper understanding of the injustice she had endured. With support from a women’s organisation that asss survivors of sexual violence, she applied for a retrial. She was also inspired the global #MeToo movement to continue her fight for justice. Also read: Influencer Ashley St Clair, 26, claims Elon Musk, 53, fathered her child, gave her lavish apartment but no romance Her case has reignited discussions on how South Korean courts handled sexual violence cases in the past. The Korea Herald, reporting on Choi’s legal struggle, stated, “Though unthinkable and abhorrent today, it was not uncommon for courts of the 1960s and 1970s in South Korea to play matchmaker between rape victims and their raps.” The country has since made significant progress in safeguarding women’s rights, with major legal reforms such as the 1994 Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act and the establishment of the Minry of Gender Equality and Family in 2010. Also read: Japanese man who spent ₹11 lakh to ‘become a dog’ now rents out costume to others