Forced to call him 'Dad': The trial over sexual abuse in a disabled care home that has shocked South Korea
A former director of a state-run care home in South Korea has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting residents with intellectual disabilities. The case has sparked national outrage and raised critical questions regarding the safety and oversight of state-subsidized facilities for the disabled.
Why it matters
It highlights systemic failures in protecting vulnerable populations within state-funded institutions and has prompted calls for the closure of the facility involved.
Image source, Getty Images By Juna Moon BBC Korean Published 4 hours ago "I was hurting inside, so I came to tell my story."
These were Seo Mi-hyeon's first words to the police.
Seo, who has an intellectual disability, struggles to form long sentences and can only communicate through brief words and gestures. But her memories of the abuse inflicted upon her were clear.
She was one of three residents at a state-run care home in South Korea who were sexually assaulted by the home's director, in a case that has shocked the country and raised serious questions about state care for the disabled.
Earlier this month, a court in Seoul sentenced the director - who has only been identified by his surname Kim - to 15 years in prison. Kim is appealing the conviction.
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