The head of "Saekdongwon," a residential facility for people with severe disabilities in Ganghwa County, Incheon, who is accused of sexually assaulting residents with disabilities, was arrested on the 19th.
Nam Se-jin, the Seoul Central District Court's warrant judge, issued an arrest warrant after completing a pretrial detention hearing for the facility head, a person surnamed Kim, citing concerns about destruction of evidence and flight. Kim did not answer questions from the press upon arrival, including "Do you admit to the sexual assault charges," "What did you explain," and "Do you have anything to say to the victims."
The arrest warrant for employee A, who was also sought for arrest on charges including assault, was rejected. Director General Nam said, "A acknowledges the facts, and it appears that most of the objective evidence has been collected, considering the nature of the case and the extent of the harm," adding, "Given the course of the investigation and the person's stable residence and family ties, it is difficult to recognize the necessity and reasonableness of detention."
Kim is accused of committing sexual violence against residents with disabilities who stayed at Saekdongwon over several years. The Saekdongwon Special Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which is conducting a full-scale survey of residents with disabilities and staff who stayed at Saekdongwon, identified at least six victims and applied for arrest warrants for Kim and others on the 9th. Kim reportedly has consistently denied the allegations, both during the police investigation and at the hearing.
Saekdongwon opened in 2008. To date, 87 people with disabilities have passed through the facility, and there have been 152 employees. Some say the number of victims could rise as the police investigation progresses.