South Korean Woman Sentenced To 10 Months for Fighting Molester, Acquitted After 61 Years

Choi Mal-ja, a South Korean woman, has finally been acquitted after a court overturned her conviction from over six decades ago, according to BBC. At 18 years old, Choi was sentenced to 10 months in jail for causing grievous bodily harm by biting off part of a man's tongue during an alleged sexual assault. Her attacker, who was 21 at the time, received a lighter sentence of six months for trespassing and intimidation but was never charged for attempted rape.

After years of campaigning inspired by the #MeToo movement, Choi's case was retried at the Busan District Court, as per the news portal. Prosecutors apologised and requested to clear her name. The court ruled that her actions constituted justifiable self-defence, noting that she bit the man's tongue to escape his attack.

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Choi said the case had turned her from a victim into an accused and expressed relief at finally being declared innocent. She thanked her supporters and criticised those who "abused their power and manipulated the law." The ruling is seen as a significant step for victims of sexual violence in South Korea, emphasising that defensive actions by women will now be better understood.

Choi plans to file a civil lawsuit for compensation. Her case is widely cited in South Korea as an example of past legal failures to protect victims of sexual violence. Similar cases in recent years have also recognised biting an attacker's tongue as legitimate self-defence.