Judoka who caused permanent disability by throwing elementary school student 2-3 times faces trial

A judo gym owner has been indicted three years after causing a permanent disability to an elementary school student by throwing him onto the gym floor.

On the 15th, the Daegu District Prosecutor's Office West Branch Criminal Division 3 (Chief Seo Seong-mok) announced that they have filed charges against a 31-year-old gym owner, Mr. A, for professional negligence resulting in injury.

Mr. A is accused of throwing a fifth-grade elementary school student, Mr. B, 2-3 times in his gym in April 2022 without laying down double mats on the floor, resulting in permanent disabilities including cerebral hemorrhage, quadriplegia, and intellectual disability.

At the time, Mr. B lost consciousness and collapsed. He regained consciousness a month later but had no recollection of the incident. Medical evaluation revealed that Mr. B's cognitive ability was assessed as being below that of a 5-year-old.

Mr. A has consistently avoided responsibility by arguing that there were no witnesses from the gym and that no bone injuries were detected in Mr. B's head at the time.

However, he was prosecuted three years after the incident due to rigorous investigation by a prosecutor with a background in forensic medicine.

The prosecutor analyzed Mr. B's medical records and CT scans to confirm that the intracranial hemorrhage occurred due to external force in the gym, proving Mr. A's culpability.

The prosecution stated, “We will put every effort into maintaining the prosecution against the defendant and will continue to ensure that there are no wronged citizens suffering from the consequences of crime by actively seeking the help of experts, including forensic advisors.”

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