The Gwangju District Court handed down a six-month jail term suspended for two years and a four-month jail term suspended for two years respectively to the older and younger sisters, indicted for physical abuse and locking up an academy student.

The court also ordered 120 hours of community services to the two sisters.

The sisters, who were running an academy in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, held a grudge against a student after his mother visited the academy and complained, having been told that he was scolded for an absence.

They reportedly took the student to their car on his way back home and confined him in the counselor’s office for 45 minutes. They are also accused of hitting the victim’s head multiple times and throwing his phone on the ground to break it.

The court said, “Since the suspects have abused the victim and induced great psychological damage on him, the crime was considered serious. (And) the physical abuse wasn’t light and the duration of the confinement wasn’t short as well.”

However, the court took into consideration that the sisters showed signs of remorse, that they had no prior convictions and that the victim’s parents do not want punishment.

By Ahn Sang-yool (koolsangon@heraldcorp.com)