Facility director gets 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting residents with disabilities
A court sentenced the head of Saekdongwon, an Incheon residential facility for people with severe developmental disabilities, to 15 years for sexually assaulting three residents.
Saekdongwon's director, center, is seen at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 19. Saekdongwon is a residential facility for people with severe developmental disabilities in Ganghwa County, Incheon.YONHAP
A director of a residential facility for people with severe developmental disabilities in Incheon was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting residents.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted the director, identified by his surname Kim, of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The court also ordered probation and barred Kim from working at institutions serving children, adolescents and people with disabilities.
Kim was found guilty on charges of sexually assaulting three residents at Saekdongwon in Ganghwa County, Incheon. He was also accused of injuring one victim by throwing a glass cup at their head when they resisted his sexual assault in February 2025.
The court found the victims' testimony credible and ruled Kim guilty.
Investigators alleged that Kim assaulted four women with disabilities on multiple occasions from 2012 through last year.
In the case of one victim, however, the court acquitted Kim of rape and convicted him only of violating the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities.
The interior of Saekdongwon in Ganghwa County, Incheon, is seen on Feb. 9.YONHAP
“There is no doubt that the act constitutes sexual violence that caused sexual humiliation to a person with disabilities and therefore violates the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities,” the court said.
However, the court noted that a rape conviction requires violence or intimidation that renders the victim unable to resist. It added that it cannot conclude whether such violence or intimidation occurred.
“A heavy sentence was warranted because the sexual offenses targeted people with disabilities, who are socially vulnerable,” the court said.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
