Man arrested on charge of raping 90-year-old woman living alone

Police on Thursday said they had arrested a man on a charge of raping an elderly woman who lived alone in a low-income area in Jongno-gu, central Seoul.

According to the Jongno Police Station, the 47-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting the 90-year-old victim, who was asleep when he allegedly broke into her house on Monday afternoon. 

An experienced social worker witnessed the assault in progress and reported the incident to the police, the allegation continued. Dispatched officers said they had arrested the suspect immediately.

There are several districts across the city that accommodate seniors living in extreme poverty.

Police said the suspect had no fixed residence and no steady job. In 2014, the man was convicted of committing an “indecent act by compulsion” and sentenced to a two-year jail term. He was released from prison in 2016.

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)