A teenager who worked at a bar in Ansan requested a state-appointed lawyer immediately after filing a sexual assault complaint against the owner on Dec. 28, 2025, but police did not send the request to prosecutors until Jan. 8, 2026, according to records reported by Gyeonggi Ilbo. Counsel was appointed the following day, after police had already interviewed the teenager. The reported 11-day delay is now under scrutiny following the teenager’s death and a later decision to prosecute the owner.
- Complaint and counsel request
- Dec. 28, 2025
- Request sent to prosecutors
- Jan. 8, 2026
- Counsel appointed
- Jan. 9, 2026
- Police no-referral decision
- Feb. 18, 2026
- Owner indicted without detention
- Oct. 7, 2026
Police did not conduct another face-to-face interview with the teenager before deciding on Feb. 18 not to refer the owner for prosecution, citing insufficient evidence. Investigators reportedly relied in part on surveillance footage showing the two talking and moving together, concluding that it was difficult to establish that the teenager had been incapable of resisting. Police said processing the lawyer request had been delayed while the investigator conducted witness interviews and examined the scene.
A document later found on the teenager’s phone said the sexual contact had not been consensual and rejected the police decision. Authorities treated the document as a formal objection and transferred the case to the prosecution office for further review.
Supplementary evidence changed the case’s direction
The Suwon District Prosecution Office’s Ansan branch conducted supplementary inquiries that included examination of original surveillance footage, phone forensics, witness statements, blood and urine test findings, and medical advice. Prosecutors said the footage showed the owner supporting the teenager, who appeared unable to steady their body, and taking the teenager toward an area outside the camera’s view. Medical advice also indicated that combining the teenager’s medication with alcohol could have caused a state in which resistance was not possible.
Phone evidence reportedly indicated that the two had not been exchanging signs of romantic interest. Prosecutors also identified a recording in which the teenager tearfully told an acquaintance about the alleged assault shortly after it occurred. Following the supplementary investigation, the Ansan branch indicted the owner without detention on an allegation of quasi-rape on Oct. 7. The charge does not determine guilt, which remains for the court to decide, but the reversal places renewed attention on how quickly alleged victims receive legal assistance and how investigators interpret evidence concerning capacity and consent.