The news of that day has passed, but its meaning remains with us today. "That Day, Today" reads the present through the records of the past.
"A drunk passenger drove off in my taxi and even rammed into me."
Six years ago today, on June 12, 2020, the truth behind a "taxi theft case" in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, came to light. A taxi driver identified as A (then 47), accused of attempting to sexually assault an intoxicated female passenger (attempted quasi-rape), was taken into police custody.
◇Two Hours Roaming the City Before Stopping in a Secluded Spot to Attempt the Crime = The incident occurred at around 12:20 a.m. on April 25 of the same year. A attempted to sexually assault a female passenger identified as B (48), who had boarded his taxi on a road in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.
B, who was intoxicated at the time, fell asleep as soon as she got into the taxi. A drove around the city of Jeonju for about two hours with B on board before stopping the vehicle in a deserted area. He then left the driver's seat, moved to the back seat, and attempted to sexually assault the sleeping B.
Feeling threatened, B narrowly managed to escape from the taxi. Seizing the moment when A got out to follow her, B climbed into the driver's seat and drove off in the taxi.
B entered the highway in Jeonju and drove more than 50 kilometers to Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. She finally came to a stop only after ramming into a 3.5-ton freight truck near a rest area.
Police, dispatched after receiving taxi driver A's theft report, arrested B, who was driving the vehicle at the time, on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act. A test showed B's blood alcohol concentration was 0.15 percent, a level warranting license revocation.
◇"I Was Almost Sexually Assaulted"…A Single Petition That Overturned the Case = In the early stages, the case was treated as a simple theft in which a drunk passenger had stolen a taxi and fled. But the situation took an entirely different turn when B later submitted a petition to police stating that "I think I was almost sexually assaulted by the taxi driver."
Because B had been heavily intoxicated and her memory of the time was unclear, she came to this conclusion after finding it strange that her underwear was missing and that the time spent in the taxi had been excessively long.
Police summoned A for questioning while also analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to trace the route A had taken with B on board.
During the investigation, it was also confirmed that the taxi's dashcam had been damaged. Police concluded that A had removed the dashcam in an attempt to erase traces of his crime.
A police official explained at the time that "based on the woman's statement and various pieces of evidence, we detected circumstances indicating that A attempted rape." However, A flatly denied the allegations during police questioning, saying, "I never tried to do such a thing to a customer."
◇DNA the Decisive Evidence…Sentenced to Three Years = Prosecutors confirmed A's DNA on the inside of the victim's jeans and on part of her body. Combined with the CCTV evidence, this was decisive proof from which the attempted sexual assault could be inferred.
In December of that year, A was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of attempted quasi-rape and making a false accusation. He was also ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and was barred for five years from employment at institutions related to children and adolescents and at welfare facilities for the disabled.
The court ruled that "as the defendant's DNA was confirmed on part of the victim's body and inside her jeans in the evidence submitted by prosecutors, it is recognized that the defendant removed the victim's pants and underwear."
It continued, "Given that the defendant committed the crime against a victim who had boarded a taxi used by people as a means of transportation, and that the victim wants the defendant punished, severe punishment is unavoidable." It added, "However, the sentence was set taking into account that the defendant admits to the crime, that he has no prior record of punishment such as fines, and that he had received treatment for depression for 10 years."
Meanwhile, prosecutors granted B, who had caused the drunk-driving accident, a suspension of indictment, finding that there were mitigating circumstances in the background of the act. They also cleared her of the taxi theft charge.
