Suspicion of Assault on a Middle-Aged Severely Disabled Person at an Incheon Residential Facility for the Disabled... National Human Rights Commission Requests Investigation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The National Human Rights Commission has requested a police investigation after evidence emerged that a man in his 40s with disabilities was assaulted at a residential facility for people with severe disabilities in Incheon.

On the 19th, the Human Rights Commission announced that it had requested an investigation into an employee of Facility A for severe disabilities on charges of assault and injury against a person with disabilities.

According to the Human Rights Commission, on May 30, Mr. B (47), who has multiple disabilities including visual, speech, and intellectual impairments and resides at the facility, underwent surgery for a gastric perforation at a university hospital. The professor who performed the surgery suspected the gastric perforation was caused by external force and reported it to the Incheon Disability Rights Advocacy Agency on June 1. This agency then filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on June 3.

During subsequent interviews, although the victim Mr. B has severe disabilities that make communication difficult, he consistently stated about the incident on the day, expressing phrases such as "It hurt, I was hit, I was stepped on with a foot." The operating professor also added that the large hematoma around the perforation site and bruising on the stomach wall strongly suggested the perforation was caused by external force.

In particular, review of the facility’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage confirmed that around 8 a.m. on May 30, Mr. B was forcibly dragged by a facility employee into the men's lounge and after coming out, suddenly began sweating profusely and complained of abdominal pain. Statements obtained from the investigation of the employee also confirmed that some physical restraint was used inside the men's lounge. Based on these circumstances, the Human Rights Commission requested an investigation of the employee on assault charges.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Commission, suspecting additional victims within Facility A, decided on June 21 to conduct an ex officio investigation. During this process, they discovered 21 additional cases of injuries among residents, including unexplained bruises and lacerations. The Commission judged that the neglect of the duty to protect residents was at a serious level and recommended that the head of the local government thoroughly supervise and manage residential facilities for people with disabilities.

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