Jang Je-won, former lawmaker, dies while under investigation for sexual assault charges

Former People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won has died while being investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting his secretary. This incident has caused a social shock and has once again highlighted the attention towards the suffering of victims.

Noh Jong-ho, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University, stressed, "We must avoid the atmosphere that views suicide as a pardon for everything."

Professor Noh shared a post on Facebook that he wrote five years ago titled "Please empathize with them. In front of the death of the late Mayor Park Won-soon," expressing his concerns about the pain victims face as similar incidents recur.

He mentioned the time when former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon passed away while being investigated for sexual assault allegations, writing, "As a psychiatrist, I worry. The way our society honors Mayor Park's suicide and his death will impact the women who accused him."

He continued, "Trauma occurs more frequently than we think, and the overwhelming majority of trauma victims are women, especially young women." He explained, "Patients who have experienced trauma re-experience or feel intense stress when they encounter situations similar to their trauma."

Professor Noh also urged, "Please empathize with the hearts of the victimized women, feeling the human agony and pain that Mayor Park must have experienced."

He emphasized, "When we try to bury it as if nothing happened, consider the message that the way we honor his death sends to her and all victims of sexual assault."

This incident has caused significant social repercussions, reminding us once again of the importance of listening to the voices of victims. Suicide by perpetrators in sexual violence cases cannot serve as a pardon, and efforts are needed to heal the wounds and suffering of victims.

Image source: Late Jang Je-won / News1, Noh Jong-ho, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University. YouTube 'Sebasi Talk'