Not too long ago, the popular drama ‘The Glory’ aired in which a victim of school violence takes revenge on the perpetrators after becoming an adult. Many viewers were angry at the perpetrators and people around them who committed brutal school violence without guilt in the drama, and sympathized with the suffering of the victims. Since then, as the actual incident that became the motif of the drama became known, the personal information of the perpetrator was revealed and it is receiving strong criticism from public opinion.
I think social resentment not only reflects the aftermath of the drama, but also reflects social perceptions and attitudes toward school violence. It is also true that public opinion is cold about school violence cases in the past, especially those committed by celebrities or athletes who are loved and supported by the public. In the meantime, the professional baseball world has also suffered a lot of controversy over school violence. Even in 2022, many things happened.
First of all, Doosan Lee Young-ha and LG Kim Dae-hyun are each in the process of criminal trial on charges of inflicting school violence on a junior in the baseball team in high school. Currently, Lee Young-ha is in the process of appeal after the first trial trial and Kim Dae-hyun were found not guilty in the first trial. Kiwoom Ahn Woo-jin was not able to participate in the disciplinary process at the time regarding the disciplinary action he received from the Korea Baseball Softball Association in connection with high school violence in November 2017, and an article of opinion was reported that the contents were also different from the facts. Afterwards, there was an unusual situation in which some victims actively defended An Woo-jin’s position, but it turned out that not all of the victims’ opinions were controversial again.
Kim Yu-seong, who was nominated for the first time by NC in 2021 but withdrew from the nomination due to controversy over school violence, became controversial when he received the second nomination from Doosan in the 2023 KBO League Rookie Draft. In particular, it was known that Yuseong Kim sued the victim for defamation due to the spread of false information after the first nomination of NC Dinos was withdrawn, causing great controversy. Moreover, even though the prosecution decided that the victim was not charged due to insufficient evidence and dismissed the prosecution, Kim Yu-seong appealed to the prosecution against this disposition, but it was dismissed. Afterwards, as it became known that he had applied for financial aid to the court but was dismissed, it was criticized for being a secondary offense to the victim. Among the school violence cases in the professional baseball world that became controversial last year, I think the goal of conflict with the victim was the deepest.
A reversal happened. According to a report last weekend, Kim Yu-sung apologized to the victim, admitting that he had verbal abuse and secondary harm, which he had denied so far, and that the victim had never spread false information. It is said that he expressed his position that he hopes to grow into an exemplary player without forgetting. Kim Yoo-seong expressed his gratitude for the victim’s forgiveness and expressed his opinion that he would take the lead in eradicating school violence in the future.
In my job, I often come across cases of school violence. As with all criminal acts, even in the case of school violence, due process must be followed for investigation and disposition, and appropriate measures and dispositions must be taken. Even though school violence does not exist, it should not be misunderstood, and even if there is a mistake, it is important to be sanctioned only to the extent of the wrongdoing.
But there is something just as important. It is the protection and healing of victims. And for this, a sincere apology from the perpetrator to the victim must be premised. For an apology with sincerity, the sooner the better. No matter how late an apology is, it is incomparably more necessary than not making an apology. Furthermore, since the subject who accepts and forgives an apology is the victim, an attitude of trying until the victim accepts it is necessary. Even if the victim does not accept it in the end, I think the process will never be meaningless.스포츠토토
The perpetrator of school violence apologizes to the victim and the victim forgives. This is the most important direction in school violence cases. We must not forget that it is the beginning and the end of preventing the recurrence of abuse and healing the victim’s wounds.