Even Teachers Commit Sexual Crimes... Can Illegal Filming on School Grounds Be Prevented?

Sex Crimes Involving Current Teachers and Students
Ministry of Education: "Unannounced Camera Inspections at Least Twice a Year"
Experts: "Inspection Personnel Must Have Higher Expertise"

Illegal filming crimes are occurring repeatedly on school premises.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] Sexual crimes are continuously occurring in schools, including cases where current teachers have been caught committing illegal filming crimes on campus. Although preventive measures such as 'on-campus illegal filming inspections' exist, there are calls to enhance their effectiveness as the crimes persist.

A teacher, Mr. A, at a high school in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, reportedly attempted illegal filming by entering the girls' restroom and installing cameras 23 times from March to June last year.

Additionally, it was revealed that in September 2017, Mr. A had placed a camera in the girls' restroom of the gymnasium at a high school in Goseong where he was working at the time. In the appeal trial held on the 25th of last month, Mr. A was sentenced to three years in prison.

Teachers are not the only ones filming so-called 'molka' (hidden cameras) at schools. Teenage students are also committing illegal filming. On the 11th of last month, a student at a high school in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, was caught filming a classmate of the same grade with a hidden camera, prompting a police investigation. The police stated that they plan to take action according to relevant laws once the investigation results are finalized.

◆ Molka Threatening Schools... Molka Crimes Double in Three Years

Illegal filming crimes occurring on school premises are not a recent phenomenon. As illegal filming increases throughout society, hidden cameras have inevitably appeared in schools as well. According to the National Police Agency, illegal filming incidents at schools increased from 68 cases in 2016 to 115 in 2017, and 175 in 2019. This represents more than a twofold increase in three years.

Illegal filming crimes within schools continue unabated. Illegal filming videos are serious because once distributed on the internet, they cause secondary and tertiary damages.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Notably, as illegal filming surges in schools, the number of victims aged 10 and under is also rising. According to the Ministry of Education, about 81% of molka crimes occurring in elementary, middle, and high schools from 2016 to 2018 targeted students. Among these, cases occurring in high schools accounted for approximately 63%, the highest proportion, while illegal filming in elementary schools accounted for about 16%. This indicates that young teenagers are exposed to digital sexual crimes even in schools where their safety should be protected.

A more serious issue is that illegal filming does not end with just recording. When the filmed videos are distributed online, secondary and tertiary damages occur. Once the videos spread online, they are difficult to delete, which multiplies the victim's suffering. This is why raising awareness about digital sexual crimes through molka is crucial.

◆ 'Twice-Yearly Surprise Camera Inspections?'... Effectiveness Requires Considering Inspectors' Expertise

In response to the severe damage caused by on-campus molka crimes, the Ministry of Education introduced a policy called 'surprise camera inspections' in September last year. The policy involves cooperating with local public institutions to conduct surprise inspections at least twice a year to check for illegal filming cameras installed within schools. However, considering previous comprehensive inspections of illegal filming cameras on campuses, concerns have been raised about the policy's effectiveness.

According to the '2020 School Restroom Illegal Filming Camera Inspection Status' by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the 'Public Restroom Illegal Filming Inspection Manual' prepared by the government was not utilized in some cases during the school restroom illegal filming inspections conducted in July and August last year. The manual specifies that for intensive inspections, a joint inspection team should be formed, including local governments, police, public institutions, and civic groups.

The joint inspection team is checking for illegal hidden cameras inside the school.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, data shows that among the 11 education support offices in Seoul, four conducted inspections using only school staff or retired teachers. Unlike other education support offices where police, district officials, and private security personnel participated, these inspections were carried out by personnel with relatively less expertise. The Gangwon Provincial Office of Education also designated school staff at various levels as inspection personnel.

At the time, Lee Tan-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out, "The Ministry of Education's failure to utilize the existing government manual undermines the effectiveness of school restroom inspections," and added, "Besides simply increasing the number of inspections, measures to improve the quality of inspections, such as mandating the participation of experts like police officers, are necessary."

Experts emphasize the importance of inspectors' expertise to enhance inspection effectiveness. Kim Yeo-jin, director of the Korea Cyber Sexual Violence Response Center, stated, "Even if inspections are conducted by school staff, it is necessary for the personnel involved to receive expert training beforehand." She also suggested, "In cases where the perpetrator is a teacher, the power dynamics between the perpetrator and the victim should be examined to ensure that fact-finding is not delayed," and added, "When responding to molka crimes and other sexual crimes occurring on campus, the top priority should be 'the victim's recovery from harm.'"

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