Three men from Sinan County accused of gang raping a school teacher in May, reenacted the day of their crime for a court inspection on Wednesday.

The usual media attention was absent from the scene, with Mokpo branch of Gwangju District Court specially restricting media access citing protection of the victim’s privacy and prevention of secondary suffering. 

Two judges and prosecutors were present, along with some 20 police.

The village onlookers were asked to maintain a distance. Camera crew from two broadcasting stations were caught filming from rooftops and were quoted the legal bans on releasing the footage.

The three alleged rapists demonstrated the route they had taken by car from the village restaurant where they had eaten and drank with the victim to the teachers’ dormitory where they are accused of taking turns to rape the inebriated victim.

The demonstration began at 10:30 a.m. and took about two hours.

The court is reportedly focusing on determining whether the three had planned the crime.

Prior to the reenactment, the court had convened on July 21 to decide on the dates for the future trials.

The victim will be exempted from cross examination in the forthcoming trial proceedings on Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, to guard her from media attention.

The three suspects – Park, 49, Lee, 34 and Kim, 38 – were indicted on June 29 for the planned gang rape of the victim on the night of May 21 and the early hours of May 22.

The victim was a visiting teacher at the elementary school where the suspects’ children attended.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)