The shaman raped his student, promising to cast out demons

A court in South Korea found a 70-year-old shaman guilty of raping a 30-year-old student, whom he promised to help get rid of an evil spirit. The ruling was reported by Yonhap News Agency.

The crime occurred in January 2024. According to the agency, the man first in the car, and then in the hotel convinced the woman that her body is someone else’s spirit and she needs to undergo the ceremony.

He also threatened the student that she would lose the ability to speak, would not survive, and her family would be unlucky if she refused to have sex with him. The man then raped the woman.

During the proceedings, the accused insisted that the intimacy was consensual. However, the court found that the man took advantage of the victim’s dependence on his religious beliefs and used violence.

The court also took into account that the shaman repeatedly committed crimes, taking advantage of the religious and psychological vulnerability of the woman. His actions caused the victim severe mental suffering. The man did not repent and did not compensate for the damage.

In addition to five years in prison, the convict was assigned an 80-hour treatment program for sexualized violence. He was also banned from working for five years.