South Korea jails disabled care home head for sexually assaulting residents

For context, a South Korean court has jailed the former head of a disabled care home for sexually assaulting multiple residents, in a case that shocked the nation.

Key points

• The man, surnamed Kim, was handed a 15-year prison term for abusing three residents at the Saekdongwon facility in Incheon City, west of Seoul.
• The case has prompted the administration to inspect 1, 507 care facilities for disabled residents nationwide, where 33 cases of suspected abuse were discovered.
• South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok had described the abuse at Saekdongwon as "a grave matter that calls into question the very reason for the state's existence".
• An in-depth assessment of residents commissioned by Ganghwa County discovered that 20 current and former female residents may have experienced sexual abuse.
• While Incheon City authorities revoked the licence of the foundation that operated it, ganghwa County has ordered Saekdongwon to close.

Meanwhile, the man, surnamed Kim, was handed a 15-year prison term for abusing three residents at the Saekdongwon facility in Incheon City, west of Seoul.

Police began investigating Kim after one of his victims, a woman with a severe intellectual disability, came forward in February last year.

Notably, the case has prompted the administration to inspect 1, 507 care facilities for disabled residents nationwide, where 33 cases of suspected abuse were discovered.

Notably, an in-depth assessment of residents commissioned by Ganghwa County discovered that 20 current and former female residents may have experienced sexual abuse.

Plenty of in South Korea have asked how such a case could still occur, especially after laws were strengthened in 2011 to protect residents with disabilities from sexual assault.

Some have additionally raised questions on how the director's actions could have gone undetected for so long.

Nevertheless, the closure has been deferred until the remaining residents have been relocated and arrangements for independent living have been completed.

In practice, the foundation has filed an administrative lawsuit challenging the revocation of its licence.

For now, south Korea jails disabled care home head for sexually assaulting residents remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.