Parents found guilty in child rape case

SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) -- The parents of a teenager who committed rape after being exposed to pornography from an early age were found guilty of being negligent in their duty to protect and supervise their child.

The Seoul Southern District Court said Sunday it fined the parents 83 million won
(US$60,300) for failing to take proper care of their 18-year-old son who raped a
seven-year-old girl from his neighborhood in 2006.
The boy, who suffers from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, had been
sentenced to a 10-year prison term. The girl's parents also sought 225 million
won in damages, claiming his parents had not fulfilled their duty to supervise
him.
The identities of the boy and his parents were withheld.
"The parents could have prevented the crime with appropriate education but failed
to show enough attention to their child. They neglected their duty to raise their
child so that he can properly adjust to society," the court said in a statement.
The boy grew up watching pornography and other lascivious materials on the
Internet from the age of 13 and imitated a film he had seen when he raped the
girl, the court said.