Comments on: Policewoman Rape Case GIs Released

By: Philip

Philip — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:19:26 +0000

Jacked up sentences for sex crimes? Are you high? Of those who are convicted, it’s always under 15 years (Consider the 12 year sentence for Nayoung’s rapist who was left to die in a public bathroom). Out of 6,000 of the past sex offences, 40% were prosecuted. Of those convicted, less than 1% received the maximum sentence. Nearly half got off with fines and 30% got suspended terms. Now, if you really want to know why GIs don’t get a lot of respect in Korea, go to Itaewon sometime and watch how they behave. These drunk idiots start fights, destroy property, and act like total assholes. Americans are guests in Korea and need to remember that.

By: policewoman rape - Dogpile Web Search

policewoman rape - Dogpile Web Search — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:50:42 +0000

[...] … http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/07/18/news/doc487... • Found on Google Policewoman Rape Case GIs Released … really premeditatedly raped by a taxi driver, not a "failed rape attempt" like … [...]

By: US Soldier “Rapes” Woman In Dongducheon

US Soldier “Rapes” Woman In Dongducheon — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:57:51 +0000

[...] uncommon for the authorities to encourage witnesses to lie just to convict a US soldier of crime. After one such conviction one of the judges that presided over the trial encouraged the soldier to appeal because of how [...]

By: South Korean Perceptions of the US Military Presence in Korea

South Korean Perceptions of the US Military Presence in Korea — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:21:18 +0000

[...] The impolite accusation is especially humorous considering many people consider Koreans to be extremely rude and this prior posting of mine on, Why are Koreans Rude?, continues to be a highly commented on posting here at the ROK Drop. The “masters of this nation” claim is even funnier because she doesn’t even provide any examples to back it up other then GIs are rude. If GIs are "masters of this nation" then why the heck are so many GIs getting screwed over by shady ajummas as well as getting screwed over in Korean court rooms? [...]

By: A soldier left behin

A soldier left behin — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:21:15 +0000

Has anyone considered the fact that Basel may not be guilty. That the fact that he does not remember anything beyond entering the bathroom played greatly on the decision of the court. Upon appeal, the courts had a chance to look at all evidence in this case. We know how Koreans feel about American GI's and the judges could not release both parties charged in this case as not guilty. The best that they could do was discharge the one and suspend the other sentence. Because those of us who have served a tour in Korea knows that GI's never receive a fair deal. Lets not forget that this was not a rape and that her clothes were not off of her body. This bathroom was a unisex bathroom and Basel probably became startled and reacted. By the Korean courts own psych evaluation of severe PTSD, he could have become alarmed and flashbacked to a time when he was in Iraq and felt that his life was in danger. This does not make him a guilty man. This only reiterates the need to better evaluate the soldiers who are returning from Iraq. As I have stated in a previous posting, I knew Basel prior to Iraq and the situations that we have been through were and are frightening. Does this excuse the fact of a physical confrontation, no. However, what if the situation was reversed and a man was using the stall and came out and startled Basel, would it have been called a sexual assault. Does this become a sexual assault because she was a woman. The facts as we know them are, she was in the bathroom, she came out of the stall and Basel had his pants down, for all we knew he was using the facility, she startled him and he reacted, no where have I read that her clothes were off and he came close to raping her. What was stated is that his pants were down and he grabbed her arms. If this had been held in an America military court, this amount of evidence would not have convicted Basel. What is sad is that a man's career will probably end because of a mishandled case. It took the prosecutors office almost five weeks to bring formal charges against the two involved, not to mention the fact that their own eyewitness changed his story to fit what they wanted the outcome to be. Also, the fact that Basel was feeling coerced into changing his plea after being told that the courts would be more lenient on them if one would plead guilty. And how convenient for the prosecution that Basel could not remember anything because of how much he had to drink and the PTSD. This in the states would never have made it into a courtroom, it is considered to be circumstantial evidence. Eyewitness testimony changed and the force put on by the prosecution to change the pleas. There is so much reasonable doubt that before ruining a man's life and career the military should take a step back and really exam the possiblities of what could have actually occured that day in the bathroom. And the fact that Koreans do not give GI's a fair shake. Not all GI's are terrible and not all are guilty all the time. As I have stated in the past, Basel is a good soldier and a superb man and I would feel honored to serve alongside of him again.

By: Policewoman Rape Case GIs Released - ROK Drop via MySpace News

Policewoman Rape Case GIs Released - ROK Drop via MySpace News — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:10:02 +0000

[...] Click here to read more. Click here to return to Korea Click here to return to MySpace News. [...]

By: Soldiers Rescue Passengers from Vehicle Accident at ROK Drop

Soldiers Rescue Passengers from Vehicle Accident at ROK Drop — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:09:53 +0000

[...] Korean netizens and anti-US groups will assuredly keep talking about these two soldiers, but I can guarantee you won’t hear them talking about these [...]

By: GI Korea

GI Korea — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:08:42 +0000

Marmot,

You can read the links I provided a US soldier was really premeditatedly raped by a taxi driver, not a "failed rape attempt" like Basel and was let off. These two GIs received justice that is equivalent of what ajeossi would get in Korean court. That is maturation of the Korean courts when GIs are finally getting equal treatment as ajeossi.

However, I did clearly state that Basel deserved more jail time and would have received more in a US court martial which is what makes the whole criticism from the Korean netizens and anti-US groups quite ironic.

By: GIs Get Away with the "Most Heinous Crimes in Korea" at ROK Drop

GIs Get Away with the "Most Heinous Crimes in Korea" at ROK Drop — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:22:13 +0000

[...] find it a bit ironic that on the day it is announced that two GIs would be released from Korean custody by a ROK court, over at Brendon Carr’s Korea Law Blog he has a posting up [...]

By: The Marmot

The Marmot — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:11:50 +0000

Robert calls the decision to release Basel "outrageous" and commenters seem to agree, but lets look at the facts instead of emotional reactions.

Indeed, let's look at the facts --- a judge just lightened the sentence of a man convicted of attempting to rape a cop because he was drunk at the time. Sure, you can call that a maturation of the Korean legal process, although somehow, I doubt that's what we'd be calling it if a court handed out a reduced sentence with a 2-year stay of execution to an ajeossi convicted of rape because he was drunk. Dare I say, we'd be bitching about the institutional sexism of Korean society.