【브레이크뉴스 경북】진예솔 기자=경북경찰청이 8일 오후 2시 언론 브리핑을 열고 해병대원 사망사고 수사 결과를 발표했다.

▲ 경북경찰청 전경     ©

임성근 전 해병대 1사단장 및 현장 간부 2명 등 3명은 불송치 결정이 내려졌다. 당시 해병대 1사단 7여단장 등 6명은 검찰에 송치하기로 결정되었다.

경북경찰청은 “지난해 7월19일 실종자 수색 중 순직한 채 상병 사망사고에 대해 임 전 사단장 등 9명을 업무상 과실치사 등의 혐의로 수사한 결과 7여단장 등 현장지휘관 6명은 업무상 과실치사 혐의로 검찰에 송치 예정이며, 임 전 사단장 등 3명은 혐의를 인정하기 어려워 불송치 결정했다”고 밝혔다.

경찰이 업무상 과실치사의 공동정범 혐의가 인정된다고 판단한 대상자 6명은 당시 신속기동부대장인 7여단장과 11포병대대장, 7포병대대장(채 상병 소속 부대 상관), 포D대대 본부중대장, 본부중대 소속 수색조장, 포병여단 군수과장 등이다.

불송치 결정을 내린 3명은 임 전 사단장과 7포병대대 정보과장, 통신부소대장 등으로 경찰은 이들에 대해 업무상 과실치사의 공동정범의 혐의가 인정되지 않는다고 판단했다.

특히 경찰은 채 상병 순직 사고가 ▶11포병대대장의 '사실상 수중수색으로 오인케 하는 지시'가 그 직접적 원인으로 7여단장으로부터 보고받은 수색지침을 변경하거나 새로운 내용의 지시를 한 사실이 없는 점 ▶7여단장과 달리 포C대대장과 직접 소통하고 지시하는 관계가 아니었고 그런 사실도 확인되지 않는 점 ▶작전수행 관련 지적과 질책을 이유로 11포병대대장의 임의적인 수색지침 변경을 예상하기는 어려운 점 ▶포병부대의 수색지침 변경이나 그 징후 및 일부 수중수색 사실 등을 보고받거나 인식한 사실이 확인되지 않고 이런 미인식과 사망사고 사이에 인과관계를 인정하기는 어려운 점 등을 종합적으로 고려해 A사단장에게 형법상 업무상과실치사의 책임을 묻기는 어렵다고 최종 판단했다.

경찰 관계자는 “앞으로도 경찰은 사고 진상과 책임자가 신속히 밝혀질 수 있도록 이후 형사사법절차에도 적극 협조할 것”이라고 말했다.

<구글 번역으로 번역한 영문 기사의 전문 입니다. 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 밝힙니다.>

The Gyeongbuk Police Agency held a press briefing at 2 p.m. on the 8th and announced the results of the investigation into the death of a Marine.

A decision was made not to send three people, including former Marine Corps 1st Division commander Lim Seong-geun and two field executives. At that time, it was decided to send six people, including the commander of the 7th Brigade of the 1st Marine Division, to the prosecution.

The Gyeongbuk Police Agency said, “As a result of investigating nine people, including former division commander Lim, on charges of professional negligence manslaughter for the death of a corporal who died while searching for a missing person on July 19 last year, six field commanders, including the 7th brigade commander, were prosecuted on charges of professional negligence manslaughter. “It is scheduled to be transferred to , and the three people, including former division commander Lim, decided not to transfer it because it was difficult to admit the charges,” he said.

The six people whom the police judged to be guilty of co-principal homicide were the 7th Brigade Commander, who was the commander of the Rapid Mobile Force at the time, the 11th Artillery Battalion Commander, the 7th Artillery Battalion Commander (Corporal Chae's unit superior), the Headquarters Company Commander of the D Battalion, and the Search Team Leader of the Headquarters Company. , head of the logistics department of the artillery brigade, etc.

The three people who decided not to send the case were former division commander Lim, the 7th Artillery Battalion's intelligence chief, and the communications platoon leader, and the police judged that they were not guilty of co-principal charges of occupational manslaughter.

In particular, the police said that the direct cause of Corporal Chae's death in the line of duty was the 11th Artillery Battalion commander's 'instruction that misled people into thinking it was actually an underwater search'. There was no change in the search instructions reported by the 7th Brigade commander or any new instructions given. ▶7 Unlike the brigade commander, there was no direct communication and instruction relationship with the artillery battalion commander C, and that fact has not been confirmed. ▶ It is difficult to predict that the 11th artillery battalion commander would arbitrarily change the search guidelines due to criticism and reprimands related to the execution of the operation. ▶ Artillery unit Considering the fact that he was not reported or recognized about the change in search guidelines, its signs, or the fact of some underwater searches, and the fact that it is difficult to recognize a causal relationship between such non-recognition and the fatal accident, the commander of Division A was charged with manslaughter under the Criminal Act. It was ultimately decided that it would be difficult to hold responsible.

A police official said, “The police will continue to actively cooperate with future criminal justice procedures so that the truth of the accident and the person responsible can be quickly revealed.”