Two South Korean intelligence officers are accused of raping a North Korean defector, forcing her to have two abortions, according to the woman’s lawyer.
The officers -- a lieutenant colonel and a master sergeant serving in South’s Korea’s defense intelligence command -- allegedly raped the woman while she was in their custody, the Independent reported.
The sun casts the shadows of South Korean soldiers during a welcoming ceremony at Defense Ministry in Seoul. (AP)
Good Lawyers law firm, which is representing the woman, told the BBC she was first raped while supposedly unconscious from drinking alcohol.
The master sergeant is accused of raping the woman dozens of times, The Korean Herald reported. The lieutenant colonel allegedly raped her once after she reported the master sergeant, according to The Herald.
Her lawyers claim she was forced to have an abortion twice.
The defense ministry’s criminal investigation has sent her case to the military prosecution for review. Both intelligence officers have been suspended for the duration of the investigation.
“The victim is a North Korean defector and has no family members here and did not have anyone to help her,” said Jeon Su-mi, a lawyer with Good Lawyers. “Also, the victim was intimidated by the DIC officers who knew a lot about her. So it was almost impossible for her to resist their assaults.”
Jeon filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the victim, per the Independent.
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According to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, women account for about 70 percent of defectors from North Korea.
Human rights group Korea Future Initiative says many of those defectors wind up being trafficked into the sex trade in China.