Jang Dong-ik, who was freed after 31 years, “I can’t speak of regret”
Attorney Park Joon-young “will sue for damages against the country”
Jang Dong-ik, who was accused of the “Nakdong Riverside Murder Case” and sentenced to prison for 21 years, is being handed a bouquet from lawyer Park Joon-young, who was in charge of the defense after completing a retrial hearing held at the Busan High Court in Yeonje-gu, Busan on the morning of the 4th. Busan = News 1
Choi In-cheol (60) and Jang Dong-ik (63), victims of the’Nakdong Riverside Murder Case’ who made a false confession as a police torture and unjustly jailed for 21 years, were acquitted after 31 years at a retrial held on the 4th. Jang said, “I’m sure that the truth will be revealed, but even after being acquitted, I think the priority is for our families to live in harmony again as before being arrested.”
He appeared on the MBC radio’News High Kick of Citation’ on this day with lawyer Joon-young Park, who served as defense, and said this. Jang said, “I was playing with my two-year-old daughter, and I went out to the police station without knowing the English because I was calling my name. I said, “I didn’t know because I was asking about the murder case, but I didn’t listen to me, and I tortured for three days. “I couldn’t speak of shame because I was treated as a non-human animal,” he recalled. He added, “I used what I asked for to live, so it became a prosecution and I had a trial,” he added. “I couldn’t tell why I had to live in such a country while living apart from my family.”
He also said, “Since January 6, last year, when the retrial of the murder case along the Nakdong River was decided, in the interview process, he has revealed his intention to forgive the police,” he said. “But even now, after more than a year, no one is reaching out.” . Jang said, “I want to tell them if they can live so confidently if they change their positions.”
Attorney Park, who was interviewed on the day, said that the victims, Choi and Jang, had been having a difficult life even after being released from the office in 2013. According to Attorney Park, the two knocked on the doors of the National Human Rights Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, and the law office for retrial, but were ignored. Choi had a hard time finding a job because of the facts of his crimes, and Jang had nothing to do with his eyesight.
Attorney Park said, “Even though Jang was in a difficult situation to commit the crime due to poor eyesight, confession was applied as important evidence at the time of the case trial.” He added, “Confession is also the most powerful king of evidence, but there is also danger. At that time, many contradictions were ignored and only the evidence value of confession was recognized, so I became guilty.”
Regarding the coercive investigation by the police, lawyer Park explained, “At the time, both the prosecutor and the police related to the case were alive, and there were several people who came to the court to testify, but did not admit the facts of torture, saying,’I do not remember’ or’There is no such fact’. did. Regarding this, he remarked, “I am not punished because the statute of limitations has passed, but I have fear of civil liability and social criticism, and I do not seem to have courage.”
Attorney Park is planning to file a lawsuit against the victims for criminal compensation and damages against the state, as well as a lawsuit against those who were to be held seriously responsible among the public authorities at the time. He stressed, “But if you come here and admit and reflect on your faults, you can not make them defendants in a lawsuit for perjury or damages. It is still open.”
Kim So-yeon reporter [email protected]
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