A woman in her 30s who assaulted a paramedic dispatched to answer an emergency call and later made retaliatory phone calls to the victim's workplace had her prison sentence reduced to a suspended sentence on appeal, after being detained following a custodial sentence at trial.
According to legal circles on Monday, the 5-3 Criminal Appeals Division of the Suwon District Court (Presiding Judges Park Shin-young, Kim Haeng-soon, and Jeong Young-ho) overturned the original verdict against the defendant, identified only as "A," who was charged with violating the Act on 119 Rescue and Emergency Services and insult. The appeals court sentenced her to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, with a 500,000 won fine.
The first trial had sentenced A to 10 months in prison and a 500,000 won fine, with immediate detention.
A is accused of verbally abusing and physically assaulting a nurse identified as "B" from a 119 Safety Center who responded to a call at approximately 3:45 a.m. on August 25, 2024, at a bar in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. The call reported that "my boyfriend is sick." A allegedly berated the nurse, saying words to the effect of, "What would a paramedic know? You people don't even have as good an education as I do," and kicked the nurse in the ankles and calves. An investigation found that she also hurled profanities at police officers who arrived as backup.
After the incident, A also called B's workplace and made statements to the effect of, "Apologize to me. Should I file a complaint if I want you disciplined?" — a retaliatory act, the court found.
At the first trial, A denied the charges, claiming she had only "struggled because she wanted to be taken to the emergency room" and had not committed assault. The court rejected the claim. The first-instance panel stated, "The nature of the crime is egregious, as the defendant cursed at and physically assaulted paramedics who came to provide aid," adding, "She showed no remorse and even called the victim's workplace."
The appeals court, however, reached a different conclusion. The panel said, "The defendant appears to have spent time in self-reflection during approximately four months of detention," adding, "We considered that she belatedly admitted to the crime and expressed remorse, and that she reached a settlement with the victim."
The court further stated, "Considering that her family and acquaintances have pledged to work together to prevent recidivism, the original sentence was somewhat heavy and therefore unjust."