A South Korean court has sentenced the former head of a disabled care home to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting residents. The man, surnamed Kim, was found to have abused three residents at the Saekdongwon facility in Incheon City, west of Seoul.
Police began investigating Kim after one of the victims, a woman with a severe intellectual disability, came forward in February last year. The case prompted the South Korean government to inspect 1,507 care facilities for disabled people nationwide, which identified 33 cases of suspected abuse.
Ganghwa County has ordered Saekdongwon to close, and Incheon City officials revoked the licence of the foundation operating it. However, the closure is deferred until the remaining residents are relocated and arrangements for independent living are completed. The foundation has filed an administrative lawsuit challenging the licence revocation.