Decades-Long Injustice: Woman Receives Apology After Biting Attacker’s Tongue in Self-Defense
A woman who bit off part of a man’s tongue during an alleged sexual assault over 60 years ago has received a formal apology from South Korean prosecutors. They sought her acquittal in a retrial after she spent decades living with a criminal record.
Choi Mal-ja, now 80, was 18 when she bit the tongue of a 21-year-old man she said was attempting to rape her in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city.
She was convicted of “aggravated bodily injury” for biting off 1.5cm of his tongue in self-defense and sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. Her alleged attacker received a lighter sentence for trespassing and intimidation after prosecutors dropped the attempted rape charges against him.
Senior prosecutor Jeong Myeong-won attended Choi’s retrial on Wednesday—its first and only day—and addressed her by name instead of as “defendant.”
“The prosecution failed in its role and went in the opposite direction,” he said. “We caused immeasurable pain and suffering to Ms. Choi Mal-ja, who should have been protected as a sexual violence victim. We deeply apologize.”
In her final court statement, Choi said, “I have lived 61 years as a criminal. My hope and dream now is that Korea will make laws so our descendants can live with their human rights protected in a world without sexual violence.”
During the proceedings, prosecutors asked the court to overturn her past conviction.
After the hearing, Choi left Busan District Court with her fist raised, shouting three times: “We won!”
Her case has become a symbol for many who argue that South Korea’s justice system has historically failed sexual assault survivors.
Choi first sought a retrial in 2020, inspired by a university gender studies class she took as a mature student. She was also encouraged by the global #MeToo movement.
She argued she had been illegally detained for six months without a proper warrant. Lower courts initially rejected her retrial request, citing the case as a product of its time. However, the Supreme Court overturned those decisions in December, allowing the retrial to proceed.
The Korean Women’s Hot-Line (KWHL), an organization supporting victims of gender-based violence, supported her case throughout. While Choi has received an apology, the final verdict from the retrial is expected by 10 September.
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