The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the former director of a severe intellectual disability care facility in Incheon to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually abusing three residents over more than a decade, as well as physically assaulting residents. The court also banned him from working in child, youth, and disability care facilities for 10 years after release and imposed a 3-year probation period.
Today (2 Sep), the Seoul Central District Court of South Korea sentenced the former director of a severe developmental disability care facility to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually abusing three residents and physically assaulting residents within the facility.
The defendant, identified only by the surname Kim, is the former director of the "Saekdongwon" care facility in Ganghwa District, Incheon, west of Seoul. The court found him guilty on nearly all charges related to incidents occurring between 2012 and 2025.
Besides imprisonment, the court also banned Kim from working in institutions or enterprises serving people with disabilities, children, and youth for 10 years, and ordered a 3-year probation after his release.
Previously, prosecutors requested a 20-year prison sentence for Kim. He was arrested on 20 February and subsequently charged and prosecuted.
This case involves allegations that Mr. Kim exploited his position and pretexts of care and life guidance to coerce four female residents into sexual intercourse or similar sexual acts, occurring in various facility locations including bedrooms, hallways, bathrooms, and areas near the dining room.
The court reviewed evidence and found the victims’ testimonies credible, noting they consistently detailed the incidents, emotions, and circumstances in a manner unlikely to be fabricated by those who did not personally experience them.
One victim detailed the sexual abuse occurring in a hallway near the dining room, including the moment Kim stopped when hearing kitchen staff arrive in the morning, which the court viewed as supporting the reliability of her testimony.
The court also considered medical expert opinions regarding the victims’ injuries. An obstetrician-gynecologist confirmed the wounds aligned with abuse, while some rehabilitation staff and even the defense acknowledged that the victims could not have fabricated the stories.
Kim denied all charges during the trial, claiming the victims’ testimonies were unreliable and lacked clear dates and times of the incidents. However, the court rejected these arguments.
The court stated Kim worked in a welfare facility for people with disabilities, tasked with protecting, supporting, and preventing abuse against them, but instead exploited victims with limited capacity to perceive or resist sexual abuse to satisfy his own sexual desires.
The court considered the offenses particularly severe because they occurred within a shelter that should be the safest place for people with disabilities, causing severe physical and psychological harm to the victims, who may require long-term recovery.
In addition to sexual abuse charges, Kim faced assault allegations, including throwing a glass at a victim’s head when she resisted, causing injury, and using a drumstick to hit another resident.
However, the court acquitted Kim on one rape charge involving another resident. While recognizing the act as sexual violence and violating disability welfare laws, the court found prosecutors failed to prove the legal elements of force or threats sufficient to establish rape.
The court explained that non-consensual sexual intercourse alone does not constitute rape under the relevant laws; it must also be proven that the defendant used force or threats to prevent resistance.
In this case, the court found Kim engaged in sexual activity with a victim while she was asleep without consent, but there was insufficient evidence to confirm he used force or threats to commit the act.
Attorney Ko Eun-young, representing the victims, stated the Saekdongwon case should not be seen merely as a sexual crime by an individual but reflects abuse concealed within organizational structures.
She hopes this verdict brings some solace to the victims and their families and serves as a foundation to make shelters and disability care facilities in South Korea more transparent and safer.
The court also noted that all victims capable of expressing their will wanted the defendant punished, and Kim made insufficient efforts to heal or repair the harm despite the case being exposed.
This case has drawn significant attention in South Korea as it highlights the risk that disabled residents in care facilities, dependent on caregivers, may fall victim to abuse by those entrusted to protect them.
.sourceYonhap/The Korea Herald/mk.co.kr