Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Stephannie White loses court case over son's death in Gyeongsan sauna.

More bad news for Stephannie White, reports Paul Kerry in the Korea Herald:
The mother of Michael White, 14, who drowned in a Sauna in May 2008, has lost her court battle to win compensation for her son's death.

Stephannie White sought damages from the sauna, one of the hospitals where her son was taken, and the national and provincial governments, claiming that they had contributed to her son's death.

"I have instructed (my lawyer) Mr. Hwang to completely investigate all possibilities for appeal," Ms. White said.

"I will stay in Korea as long as necessary. While I am in Korea I will work within the system to seek justice and restitution. Once I am no longer in Korea, I will no longer have to respect Korea's sensibilities on the delicacy of this issue."

Those unfamiliar with the story might want to visit MightieMike.com, the official site set up by Stephannie, and read through some of the posts collected here:

* (May 15, 2008) "The suspicious death of 14-year-old Michael White."
* (May 23, 2008) "But at this point, the difference in law and culture at bathing places is what's likely to be at fault."
* (June 9, 2008) "Vigils for Michael White hitting snares."
* (June 10, 2008) "Michael White's autopsy report released to press before family."
* (July 7, 2008) "A few excerpts from the second Seoul Podcast with Stephannie White."
* (January 4, 2009) "Michael White's mother sues."
* (April 8, 2009) "Stephannie White tours Gyeongsan sauna where son was found dead."
* (May 4, 2009) "Stephannie White still trying to get Mike's death international coverage."
* (June 1, 2009) "Update from Stephannie White."

5 comments:

This Is Me Posting said...

Justice? For a non-Korean in Korea?

Not bloody likely.

DSW said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DSW said...

I agree. It's sad, but unless you look Korean, justice is out of reach.

David tz said...

every time I teach adults, beyond the usual questions such as "how old are you" or "are you married" (I am), I'm always asked, since my wife is Korean, will I stay in Korea, or how long will I be here? When I see this kind of shit, on a daily basis, my tolerance and good will decrease exponentially. I love my wife, and I love and respect her family and I even love the country and all it has to offer, but the majority of Koreans really piss me off. For every good Korean I meet, there are 10 more that treat me like dirt. For a country that puts so much emphasis on respect, I find it hard to believe Koreans even know the meaning of the word.

Mightie Mike's Mom said...

David Tz, I couldn't agree with you more (except for the being married part)

Also, the MightieMike.com website is offline while I revamp in light of the court's verdict. I'll send out an annoucement when it's back online~ Thank you Brian ~ Salude!