[A file picture shows a rally by feminists calling for equal treatment. ]
SEOUL -- A 25-year-old female model was sentenced to 10 months in prison Monday on charges of taking pictures of a male colleague secretly during a college nude sketch class and leaking them through an online community of radical feminists.
A criminal court in Seoul ruled that the woman identified by her family name, Ahn, was found guilty of uploading a set of photographs showing the model's face and genitalia onto Womad's online community site on May 1. The court also ordered a 40-hour sexual abuse treatment program.
The male model has become the target of sexual mockery. Colleagues said he could not sleep and eat because of an emotional shock and fears that his family or friends may see his nude pictures.
The case triggered a social debate. Active feminist groups have staged a series of protests against Ahn's arrest, arguing police took an unusually quick action, compared to similar cases involving men.
Ahn, who was among four nude models working for Hongik University's fine arts college, deleted the original post a day later, but screenshots and comments were shared through other online communities and online messengers. She was accused of taking pictures with her smartphone after wrangling with the male model over the use of a resting place.
The court ruled that the male model suffered an "irreparable" personal injury. "The victim seems to have difficulty carrying out his nude model job as he suffers from extreme post-traumatic stress disorder due to isolation, despair, and depression."
Ahn showed sincere repentance but a jail sentence is inevitable because "reflection is not enough to take responsibility, the court said in a statement. "The severity of punishment cannot be changed depending on whether the victim is a man or a woman."
Womad, an active community known for female chauvinism and misandry, faced widespread criticism as many people think the group's action went far beyond the boundary of an online satire. Opponents think the group's radical movements are going beyond the boundary of an online satire. Public petitions supporting the shutdown of Womad have been filed at the presidential website, but the community did not back off.
In July, Catholic church bishops have called for the punishment of an unholy action by a Womad member who uploaded the picture of a piece of partially burned sacramental bread onto the website of Womad in July, along with vulgar anti-Christian words.
The sacramental bread symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ in Christian denominations and its desecration is strictly forbidden by Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Ahn, who was among four nude models working for Hongik University's fine arts college, deleted the original post a day later, but screenshots and comments were shared through other online communities and online messengers. She was accused of taking pictures with her smartphone after wrangling with the male model over the use of a resting place.
The court ruled that the male model suffered an "irreparable" personal injury. "The victim seems to have difficulty carrying out his nude model job as he suffers from extreme post-traumatic stress disorder due to isolation, despair, and depression."
Ahn showed sincere repentance but a jail sentence is inevitable because "reflection is not enough to take responsibility, the court said in a statement. "The severity of punishment cannot be changed depending on whether the victim is a man or a woman."
Womad, an active community known for female chauvinism and misandry, faced widespread criticism as many people think the group's action went far beyond the boundary of an online satire. Opponents think the group's radical movements are going beyond the boundary of an online satire. Public petitions supporting the shutdown of Womad have been filed at the presidential website, but the community did not back off.
In July, Catholic church bishops have called for the punishment of an unholy action by a Womad member who uploaded the picture of a piece of partially burned sacramental bread onto the website of Womad in July, along with vulgar anti-Christian words.
The sacramental bread symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ in Christian denominations and its desecration is strictly forbidden by Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
