A South Korean court has sentenced a care home director, identified only by his surname Kim, to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting three residents with intellectual disabilities. Kim is appealing the conviction.
The court heard that some residents were made to call the director "Dad", which prosecutors said illustrated the unequal relationship between Kim and those in his care. The ruling came nearly two years after one of the victims, Seo Mi-hyeon, first disclosed the abuse to her mother.
Seo, who has an intellectual disability, communicated through brief words and gestures, but her memories of the abuse were clear. She had lived in the state-run Saekdongwon care home in Incheon since 2016.
A police investigation, which widened to other residents after Seo's disclosure, found at least two other alleged victims. Kim was found guilty of raping Seo and another victim, Lee Mi-Na, and of a lesser charge of sexual violence for the third victim.
A report from Woosuk University, submitted as evidence, found indications that at least 10 more residents could have been sexually assaulted by Kim, but the court did not address this finding during the trial. Police reportedly struggled to establish details of alleged abuse when interviewing residents due to severe disabilities and communication difficulties.
Rights groups have criticised the ruling regarding the third victim, arguing that a victim's ability to resist an assault should not impact the verdict. They also criticised the investigation process for a perceived failure to identify more potential victims.