"Death from Abuse of Disabled Person at Unregistered Facility"…Bereaved Family Files Compensation Lawsuit Against Facility Director and Government

On the morning of the 22nd, members of the Gyeonggi-Seoul Disabled Persons Discrimination Elimination Coalition, the Seoul National University School of Law Disability Rights Clinic, and representatives of disability organizations held a press conference at the Court Intersection in Seocho-gu, Seoul, regarding a lawsuit for damages filed against the state, local governments, and the facility director over the death of a resident with disabilities at a residential facility for disabled persons. According to these organizations, last year, a person in their 30s with intellectual and physical disabilities residing in an unregistered facility was assaulted by an activity support worker and died while receiving treatment at a hospital. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The bereaved family of a disabled person who died while living in an unregistered facility has filed a lawsuit for damages against the facility director, the government, and local governments, claiming that the disabled person was assaulted by a caregiver and died.

The Gyeonggi-Seoul Coalition for the Elimination of Discrimination against the Disabled and the Seoul National University Law School Disability Rights Clinic held a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Court on the 22nd, stating, "We are claiming over 300 million won in compensation, including consolation money, from the director who operated the illegal unregistered facility and abused the disabled, as well as from the Republic of Korea and Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, who neglected this."

According to these organizations, A (37), who had intellectual and physical multiple disabilities, was repeatedly hit on the head and other parts of the body by a caregiver in their 30s at a facility in Poseung-eup, Pyeongtaek City last March, and died while receiving treatment at a hospital.

They stated, "Investigations revealed that the facility management continuously abused the disabled person and even instructed and condoned the caregiver's assault by saying things like 'If you are going to hit, hit the body, not the face.' The welfare officials of Pyeongtaek City and the Ministry of Health and Welfare did not properly manage or supervise the unregistered facility where A resided and failed to take measures such as closing the facility."

Furthermore, they emphasized, "Disabled people housed in this facility and many other unregistered facilities frequently suffer human rights violations such as assault and abuse. The government must immediately shut down all unregistered facilities nationwide and establish support measures for the independence of disabled persons themselves."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.