Washing Machine Video Helps Convict Man for Rape and Assault: 7-Year Sentence

A South Korean man is going to jail because of a washing machine. Reports say that police found video evidence showing him attacking a washing machine lid, which helped them prove he was guilty. The Chuncheon branch of the Seoul High Court gave the man a seven-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of serious crimes including rape and indecent assault.

The man, 24 years old, was charged with raping his girlfriend six times. This happened between March and April of last year. Prosecutors say he kept her trapped for hours and assaulted her after she wanted to break up with him. She wanted to end their relationship because she found out he had sexually explicit photos and videos of other women. At that time, he was already facing charges for raping another former girlfriend and threatened to release a video of that crime.

Initially, prosecutors had a hard time finding proof against him. But the woman gave them a 39-minute security camera video. Although the video didn’t show the attack directly, investigators spotted the assault being reflected on the plastic lid of the washing machine.

The man, who denied all charges at first, changed his plea to guilty once the video was shown in court. The judge said, “The crimes committed by the defendant are extremely serious, and he tried to shift blame onto the victim while taking legal action against her.” The judge decided a tough punishment was necessary. He was originally sentenced to eight years, but after appealing, he received a seven-year sentence.