▲ Saekdongwon, a residential facility for people with severe disabilities located in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, which was investigated by police over sexual violence allegations on February 9.
Police investigating the sexual violence case at Saekdongwon, a facility for people with severe disabilities in Ganghwa Island, Incheon, announced that they have additionally confirmed charges including assault against six staff members and transferred the case to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency.
The special investigation team of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for the Saekdongwon case additionally confirmed charges of violating the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities (assault) against five individuals and violating the Personal Information Protection Act against one individual.
They are suspected of assaulting residents with severe disabilities and destroying evidence such as CCTV footage.
Previously, police sent the facility director, surnamed Kim, to prosecutors under detention in February on charges including rape resulting in injury and violation of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, and referred two other staff members without detention for violating the same act.
Kim was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the first trial last month on charges of sexually assaulting three female residents of Saekdongwon under the guise of life guidance.
Kim has appealed the verdict.
Following this, the police continued their investigation by conducting surveys and interviews with 62 out of the 87 residents of Saekdongwon, excluding 25 deceased individuals, as well as 240 staff members.
During this process, police launched internal investigations into 13 staff members on charges of violating the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities (assault) and concluded that charges against six of them were substantiated.
The police determined that a total of 10 residents suffered harm.
The investigation found that three were victims of sexual violence and seven were victims of assault.
Police have also been investigating allegations that Saekdongwon staff members misappropriated disability subsidies and other funds meant for the residents.
By analyzing seized items such as accounting data and synthesizing statements from reference witnesses, police additionally referred facility director Kim to prosecutors on charges including embezzlement on May 15.
Prosecutors indicted him additionally in June, and sought a two-year prison sentence during a trial last month.
The police stated that the investigation conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's special investigation team has thus concluded.
However, following a request from the joint action committee for the Saekdongwon sexual violence case stating that verification of additional sexual violence victims is necessary, the National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation plans to investigate whether any sexual violence occurred in other regions, police added.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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