A South Korean court has ruled that parents of a middle school student who assaulted a classmate and the victim's mother are liable for damages.
Judge Ryu Hee-hyun of the Busan District Court's Eastern Branch ordered the parents of the assailant, identified as Student B, to pay approximately 23 million won ($17,000) in damages to victim Student A and three family members, according to legal sources on Thursday.
On March 19, 2023, Student B was teasing classmate Student A near a park in Busan when Student A's mother intervened. Student B pushed her to the ground, kicked her while she was down, and threatened Student A, investigators found.
Following the incident, education authorities convened a school violence committee. The panel ordered psychological counseling and medical treatment for the victim, while the assailant was prohibited from contacting, threatening, or retaliating against the victim and was assigned 10 hours of community service.
Student B's family filed a lawsuit to overturn the disciplinary measures but the court dismissed the case, finalizing the sanctions.
In the civil trial, the court also found the assailant's parents liable.
"The assailant's actions constitute illegal conduct, and the defendants failed to fulfill their duty to educate, protect, and supervise their minor child," Judge Ryu said.
The court ordered the parents to pay 7.9 million won to the victim's mother for orthopedic treatment, psychiatric care, medication costs, and consolation money. Student A was awarded 13.27 million won for psychiatric treatment, psychological counseling, and consolation money. The victim's grandparents were each awarded 1 million won in consolation money.