Head of Saekdongwon Facility Arrested Over Sexual Violence Allegations...SADD Says "An Important First Step Toward Resolving the Case"

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Financial News reported that after the head of Saekdongwon, a residential facility for people with severe disabilities in Ganghwa County, Incheon, was taken into custody, the civic group Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) stated, "The fact that the judiciary has finally made a decision from the standpoint of human rights will be an important first step toward resolving this case."
According to civic groups on the 20th, SADD issued a statement the previous day regarding the arrest of the Saekdongwon facility head, saying, "The arrest of facility head Kim is the result of the judiciary recognizing that the long-term, repeated sexual violence committed against people with severe disabilities is a serious crime."
SADD added, "This arrest is a minimum measure to prevent the destruction of evidence and further secondary harm, and above all to ensure the safety of the victims," and continued, "Those who condoned and abetted the facility head's crimes must also be held strictly accountable."
It went on to say, "This must not end with an arrest alone; the court should impose the maximum sentence allowed by law to send a clear warning against crimes of abuse targeting persons with disabilities," adding, "The perpetrator's detention does not in itself amount to the victims' recovery, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Incheon Metropolitan City, and Ganghwa County must immediately implement support measures so that residents with disabilities at Saekdongwon can leave the facility as soon as possible and live independently in the local community."
The previous day, Nam Se-jin, a senior judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pre-arrest interrogation of Kim and then issued an arrest warrant, citing concerns that he might destroy evidence or flee.
Kim is accused of using his authority over daily life guidance as a pretext to force female residents with disabilities into sexual intercourse and to coerce them into other sexual acts. He faces charges including sexual assault of persons with disabilities under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and assault under the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities.
Police launched a preliminary investigation in May last year into allegations of sexual violence at Saekdongwon, then carried out a search and seizure of the facility in September and imposed a travel ban on Kim. Following an order from Kim Min-seok, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, they also set up a "Special Investigation Team on the Saekdongwon Case" on January 31, headed by the chief of the Community Safety and Traffic Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA).
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yu-ha Reporter