Soon after closing the child dismemberment case, a complicated domestic violence case lands on Judge Cha and Judge Sim’s tables.
The plot thickens and the cast exhibit more daunting portrayals in the third episode of Juvenile Justice. As a new case emerges, Judge Cha and Judge Sim have to help one another yet again, although Judge Sim still does not want Judge Cha to interfere.
This time, they have to serve justice for one of the crimes that until now is hard to prosecute—domestic violence. On that note, the series did not fail to heighten the thrill, mystery, and tension, as it showcases to viewers the process of dealing with this kind of juvenile protection case.
Nathan Llantos watches Juvenile Justice on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 |
Juvenile Justice Episodes 3 Key Moments
The episodes start by showing many protestors with placards demanding the abolition of the Juvenile Act. Yeonhwa district’s head Judge Kang disclosed in his television broadcast that he personally vies for a revision five years for the Juvenile Act. However, he also firmly states that he disagrees with the protestors’ call for abolishment.
Subsequently, Judge Sim Eun Seok (Kim Hye Soo) is taken aback after being confronted by the bruised and collapsing Yu-ri. On the other hand, Judge Cha Tae Ju (Kim Mu Yeol) called an ambulance after knowing that Yu-ri limped her way through the Yeonhwa Court’s office doors.
The Battered Daughter
Tae-Ju shares Yuri’s difficult upbringing in an abusive environment. It was revealed that Yu-ri, recently released from the juvenile center, is on probation for her history of theft and prostitution. However, this is not the reason why she ran away. Judge Eun-Seok soon figures out that the abuser is actually Yu-Ri’s alcoholic father.
Furthermore, Yu-ri has not been answering the calls of the social workers and judges. She also failed to show up for work; hence her father filed a report that she was missing. But the truth is she has been running away from her father’s continuous beating and verbal harassment.
After gaining consciousness at the hospital, Eun Seok talks to her and urges her to take the incident to the court. Eun-Seok notices how severe her wounds are. Thus, she gives her a day to think about reporting her dad.
Unfortunately, Yu-ri’s trauma and fear are deep-rooted. She lacks the courage and will to report her father. Especially since her grandmother pleads her not to report him, constantly gaslighting her that he is still her father and son despite his abusive behavior. Moreover, she asked Yu-ri to bear with him for a little more while.
The Tricky & Unfair Truth About Domestic Violence Cases
To make matters worse, it was revealed by Judge Sim Eun Seok during the judges’ seminar how unfair most domestic violence cases end up. In reality, most cases don’t even make it to court. More so, if they are minors, the victims are mostly not given a chance to request a trial when the family denies the allegations/charges.
In fact, numerous domestic violence cases are dismissed due to a lack of evidence. Due to this fact, she emphasizes during their seminar how oppressed the victims are with the current system is in dealing with domestic violence.
As a result, most victims do not heal and have no choice but to live with it. For instance, Yu-ri badly wants to live a normal life. After being released from the Juvenile Center, she tries her best to live normally.
However, his abusive father tracks her down and beats her up for money. She always ends up badly beaten and loses consciousness because her father does not stop beating her unless she gives him all the money she has.
Misery Befalls Yu-ri
Yu-Ri suddenly escapes the hospital that night, sending Judge Sim and Judge Tae-Ju on a high-speed chase to find her. The problem is that Yu-ri escaped meeting a boy named So-Hui, a member of a runaway gang. The gang fooled her, and they coerced her to give them her money after beating her to the ground.
When Eun Seok and Tae Ju finally found Yu-Ri, Tae-Ju attempts to persuade her to obtain a restraining order against her father. On the other hand, Eun-Seok is far less tolerant tells Yu-ri she will arrest her again because she has violated the terms of her probation.
Tae-Ju is enraged because he empathizes with Yu-ri’s past, having experienced it too as a child. However, Eun Seok reminds him to be objective.
In the meantime, Judge Kang meets with Assemblyman Eom. The Assemblyman believes he’d be a great fit for the position. This excites Judge Kang and makes him contemplate if he’s ready to leave the courthouse after 22 years of service.
Justice in Action
On the other hand, Judge Cha Tae-Ju believes Yu-ri should be protected. When he relays these concerns to Eun-Seok, she decides to charge Yu-Ri and lock her up, thinking at first that this is the only way they can separate the victim from the abuser.
The next day, Yu-court Ri’s case is scheduled to begin. Surprisingly, Eun-Seok had spoken to Yu-Ri and had purposefully locked her up. She wanted the case to be tried so she could suitably indict the abuser and allow Yu-ri to return home.
The Trial
After conducting an investigation and gathering enough evidence, the trial begins against Yu-ri’s father. When Won-Sik attacks her mother, prompting Tae-Ju to pin him down in the courtroom. Eun-Seok yells Won-name Sik’s to get him to stop struggling to breathe.
Once everyone has settled down, Eun Seok gave Won-sik her sentence, thus delivering the befitting justice for Yu-ri.
Juvenile Justice Episodes 3 Musings
Realistic & Impeccable Screenplay
Not only does the series showcase consistency in providing excellent and accurate dialogues it also (so far) has not failed to deliver compelling and realistic stories of the victims and offenders. Episode three, just like the first two episodes, is thought-provoking. Indeed, this episode goes out to victims, conveying that they are worthy of justice.
This episode is a reminder that victims do not deserve to suffer in silence. More importantly, it is significant that they did not romanticize or understate domestic violence’s gravity. This episode sets an example of how cases like this should be tried in court.
Besides that, this episode also gave viewers another side of Judge Sim Eun Seok and a glimpse of Judge Cha Tae Jun’s background. Moreover, viewers will be left curious about Head Judge Kang’s schemes and intentions.
A+ for Superb Portrayals
Legal dramas should serve as instruments that contribute to amplifying the voices of victims. On that note, what makes Juvenile Justice great is how the series delivers stories that mirror real-life problems and horrific crimes.
Notably, the cast ensemble has impeccably internalized their characters. Hence, as they play their parts and roles in this episode, viewers might feel like they are not watching a drama on screen.
This episode is convincing enough to feel like viewers are watching it happen in real life. Best of all, the actress who played Yu-ri was very convincing. She played the role as realistically as possible. Likewise, all the other casts did a great job in acting in this episode.
In case you missed it, watch the third episode of Juvenile Justice on Netflix and watch how the new cases unravel and be resolved.
Photos & Videos: Netflix
