A care home director in South Korea was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this month for sexually assaulting residents with intellectual disabilities at a state-subsidized facility in Incheon. The case involved at least three identified victims, though investigators found evidence suggesting additional potential victims may have been abused over an extended period.
One victim, identified as Seo Mi-hyeon, disclosed the abuse to her mother after being removed from the facility in February 2025 following a head injury she sustained during an alleged assault. Seo reported that the abuse had occurred repeatedly during her approximately ten-year residency at Saekdongwon care home, beginning shortly after her admission in 2016. She indicated that lack of accessible reporting mechanisms and fear of retaliation prevented her from disclosing the abuse earlier. A subsequent police investigation identified at least two additional victims. The court found the testimony of victims Seo and another resident, Lee Mi-Na, credible in rape cases. A third victim was found to be a victim of sexual violence under a lesser charge, as the court determined insufficient evidence existed regarding use of force or threats.
A university research team commissioned by local authorities found indications that at least 10 additional residents may have been assaulted, but this finding was not fully addressed during trial proceedings. Disability rights advocates and civic groups have criticized the investigation and verdict, citing difficulties in establishing cases where victims had severe communication disabilities. They argued that police prioritized accounts from individuals able to provide complete sentence descriptions, potentially overlooking victims with greater communication challenges. Police acknowledged possible shortcomings in individual instances but characterized these as non-representative of the overall investigation.
The convicted director has denied all allegations and filed an appeal. The care home has been asked to close following the case. Rights organizations also expressed concern about petitions requesting leniency that emphasized the defendant’s purported contributions to social welfare, arguing such considerations were inappropriate in cases involving vulnerable populations.
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