Soldier asks for reduction of 10-year sentence for rape of Korean girl

[Survivoreesta]

SEOUL — The U.S. soldier whose rape case was largely responsible for the reinstatement of a curfew for all American servicemembers in South Korea appeared before an appeals court Thursday asking that his 10-year prison sentence be reduced.

While taking full responsibility and apologizing for his actions in the Sept. 24 rape of a 17-year-old Korean girl, Pvt. Kevin Lee Flippin told a three-judge Seoul High Court panel, “I think 10 years is a little too much.

“I know that I did a very bad thing,” he said during his brief statement. “This is the only time I did anything wrong to another human being.”

Flippin’s attorney, Noh Sucheol, said that while, “It goes without saying that the damage to the victim can’t be compensated by money,” she has been paid $20,000 in “compensation,” and an unspecified amount more will be given to her in the future.

http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/korea/soldier-asks-for-reduction-of-10-year-sentence-for-rape-of-korean-girl-1.165186

Oh so she was paid money, huh? Well that makes it A-OK then!

[jberryhill]

1. Is therapy free in Korea?

I don't know anything about their health care system.

[dsc]

2. reading the whole article it sounds like he has some validity to this appeal

In most countries the sentences for many crimes are lower than they are here. It seems that in South Korea, a ten year sentence for rape is unusually high. I happen to think it isn't enough for what he did, but what is relevant in this case is what South Korea thinks is enough.

[Yo_Mama]

4. Apparently S Korea thinks that torture-robbery-rape deserves at least ten n/t

[dsc]

6. maybe

apparently the appeals court will be taking some other things into account if they behave like they usually do. I think what he did was worse than what was done to the service woman in the article, but I don't think it was 5 times as bad, which is where the disparity is now. Again, I think both men were given lighter sentences than they deserved to get, but the relevant measure is what Korea decides.

[Yo_Mama]

9. 3.3 times as bad

Not five times as bad - 3 years to 10 years. And yeah, the robbery and torture are intensifying factors, and they are pretty severe intensifiers, especially the torture. Also the sodomy. This guy's quite dangerous, and no I do not think the disparity in the sentences can easily be ascribed to anger against US soldiers. The crime cannot easily be described as "impulsive".

He should have gotten 20 years.

[dsc]

18. the other person got reduced to 2 years

which is where I got the 5 from.

[Yo_Mama]

24. Not according to the article

After a hearing last month, a different Seoul High Court panel reduced the Korean defendant’s sentence in the nightclub attack to three years, court records show.

[boppers]

31. That's covered in the article:

“In [Flippin’s] case, his crime was done for about four hours, but the Korean man did it less than one hour,” Lee said. “Also, [Flippin] raped the victim several times. The Korean man raped the victim once for a moment. [Flippin] used a pen, a lighter, a knife and a pair of scissors. The Korean man used nothing.”

[FreakinDJ]

13. That is 10 years of "Forced Labor in a Coal Mine"

[yardwork]

21. No. He's a U.S. citizen serving in the U.S. military. Our laws apply.

He's lucky he didn't get life imprisonment for what he did.

[Posteritatis]

23. That's ... really not how law works. (nt)

[tabasco]

26. Nope.

Try again.

[dsc]

34. from the article it sounds like we turned him over to Korean justice

which may well have been a break for him. I think he would have gotten life in many a US Courtroom.

[yardwork]

36. It sounds like he lucked out in several ways. Luckier than his victim.

[Yo_Mama]

3. He only got 10 years?

Admittedly I think it's hard time in a Korean prison, but geeze, he deserved more than ten years.

According to the article, he entered an apartment building and went around it trying doors. Upon finding the victim in her room, he raped and sodomized her multiple times over a period of hours, punched and slapped her, stole money from her, dragged her around, threatened her with a knife and a pair of scissors, and burned her breast with a lighter. A nice bit of sadism involved, huh?

And now he asks for a sentence reduction? And says that this is the only thing he ever did wrong in his life? Because he was drunk? Just a little slip?

This is some depraved piece of humanity. What woman wants him out walking the streets after just ten years?

Do lawyers have to take special courses to teach them to make these arguments with straight faces?

[Angry Dragon]

5. After reading the article

I think ten years was fair

[Kalidurga]

7. People can spend life in prison over drugs...

They might sell drugs that lead to someone's death, but it is pretty rare that a dealer forces anyone to take drugs.

10 years for ruining someone's life, not at all enough time.

[RandySF]

8. He doesn't deserve to see the light of day.

And he's arguing over a yen-year sentence?

[RebelOne]

25. I definitely agree.

As a female, who had been raped as a teenager, this monster deserves life.

[dkf]

10. This guy is dangerous.

I imagine the alcohol loosened his inhibitions, which means the impulse is probably still there. He needs to be put away as long as he can.

[sendero]

11. I would have..

. given him 20.

[Justice wanted]

12. 10 years is a little tooo much?

HOW ABOUT WE STRIP AND STRAP YOU DOWN AND YOU CAN BE RAPED FOR 10 YEARS Than spend the next 30 in jail!

[beac]

14. “This is the only time I did anything wrong to another human being.”

I'm pretty sure that's a lie. You don't wake up one day and become a robber/torturer/rapist. This guy almost certainly HAS done something "wrong to another human being” and likely several human beings prior to this.

Glad to see the US military is not supporting his bid for a First-Time Raper discount.

[Odin2005]

16. A lot of people who commit acquaintance rape deny what they did was rape.

I bet this is just the first rape he has committed on a person he doesn't know

[Odin2005]

15. What a jerkwad!

[Survivoreesta]

30. Love u Odin!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. Maybe if he really expresses remorse

He should study video of Kim Jung-Il's funeral, the weeping, the wailing.

Then study tapes of Jimmy Swaggart's confessions, the weeping, the wailing.

The Korean court might like those theatrics and reduce his sentence.

He has nothing to lose by asking, right? Could the court admit a sentencing error and make it 20 years?

[magical thyme]

19. 10 years is not enough for this sadistic torturer

He should consider himself lucky that's all he got. My court says 20 years minimum. If he is stupid enough to call it "a bit much" again, I'll up it to 30.

[Solly Mack]

20. 10 years isn't enough time for what he did.

The man is a danger to women.

[emaxwell1313]

22. This is a pure human decency issue, NOT a liberal-conservative issue

Any genuine supporter of the troops should support a minimum 25 year sentence. Everyone from OWS to Tea Party types who has any humanity should support that sentence and I hope most of them do.

And the other poster is right about the drugs things. I have long said that life sentences for drug possessions and the War on Drugs has to end-that is an even worse quagmire than the Iraq war. And that marijuana needs to be legal. Do most people agree ?

[Devil_Fish]

27. So now there saying she is the equivelent of a high priced hooker???

Just checking....

[jmowreader]

28. Kevin Lee Flippin should get up every day and thank whatever god he prays to...

that the Korean government took jurisdiction of the case.

This is Article 120, Uniform Code of Military Justice:
920. ART. 120. RAPE AND CARNAL KNOWLEDGE

(a) Any person subject to this chapter who commits an act of sexual intercourse with a female not his wife, by force and without consent, is guilty of rape and shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.

(b) Any person subject to this chapter who, under circumstances not amounting to rape, commits an act of sexual intercourse with a female not his wife who has not attained the age of sixteen years, is guilty of carnal knowledge and shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

(c) Penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete either of these offenses.

(Raping your wife falls under Article 134, the General Article--anything not already mentioned. Article 134 allows the court-martial to punish you as it sees fit.)

Because he used objects in addition to his penis, Article 125 (Sodomy) and Article 128 (Assault) also applies.

If the Army would have tried this, Flippin wouldn't see sunlight for the rest of his miserable life.

[renate]

29. His lawyer said, *in his defense*, "(Flippin) could not control his urge to hurt such a young girl"

And therefore he should be let out of jail earlier?

and

[SwissTony]

32. Makes sense, doesn't it?

He should be glad he only got 10. Twenty should have been the least.

[elana i am]

33. the scum should get another ten years

added on just for having the gall to ask for a reduced sentence.

[ChromeFoundry]

35. How about castration. That would be fair. n/t

[itsrobert]

37. He needs more time; he's a scumbag!!

>>>> he “could not control [his] urge to hurt such a young girl.”
>>>>> Once inside, according to court testimony, he repeatedly raped and sodomized the victim over the course of four hours.


If he couldn't control his urge then, what makes the case he can control his "urges" now?

Over 4 hours of rape and sodomy? So when did the guilt/conscience kick in? After he got caught.

He's a lowlife scumbag. F him!

[aikoaiko]

38. I think not.