SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): A 64-year-old Buddhist monk has been sentenced to 18 months’ jail for assaulting a woman after she refused his sexual advances, according to the Cheongju District Court on Monday.
Charges against the monk included assault, fraud and intimidation. The monk is reported to have assaulted a 52-year-old woman at a house in Gamgok-myeon, Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province, on Feburary 9, 2022.
He allegedly demanded sex from the woman. When she refused his request, the monk slapped her across the face and assaulted her.
He is also charged with fraud for deceiving the victim and obtaining 9 million won (S$9,200), claiming he would invest in antiques and repay her.
About a month after the initial sexual assault, he reportedly assaulted the victim again with a heating pad. This left the woman with injuries that required five weeks of medical treatment.
The monk also sent the woman several threatening text messages.
During the trial, the monk said he had no intention of defrauding the victim and that he failed to repay her due to slow business with the antiques.
He denied the additional charges of violence, claiming that he only threw the heating pad on the floor. - THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK