South Korean woman acquitted 61 years after biting off attacker’s tongue
A South Korean court has acquitted 78-year-old Choi Mal-ja, overturning her 1963 conviction for grievous bodily harm after she bit off part of her alleged attacker’s tongue during a sexual assault attempt.
Choi was just 18 when she was sentenced to 10 months in jail, while her aggressor received a lighter six-month term for trespassing and intimidation — but was never charged with attempted rape, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
After decades of campaigning, Choi’s case was reopened in December 2024, with prosecutors admitting the conviction was unjust and apologizing.
Speaking after her acquittal in Busan, Choi said she had fought on “to stand up for other victims who share the same fate.”
Advocacy groups hailed the ruling as a landmark for victims’ rights. “Women’s defensive acts will be understood as legitimate,” said Song Ran-hee of the Korea Women’s Hotline, adding it sends a powerful message that victims’ voices matter.
Her case, long cited in South Korean legal textbooks as an example of failure to recognize self-defense, is now seen as a turning point in how courts address sexual violence.
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