Mother inmate who received sanitary pads due to diaper shortage... "Human rights violation"

Detention Center: "Provided Rectangular Diapers, Not Sanitary Pads"
Human Rights Commission: "Should Have Provided 70 per Week, Not 35"

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) pointed out that failing to provide sufficient diapers to inmates raising infants in correctional facilities constitutes a human rights violation.

[Photo by Pixabay]

According to the NHRCK on the 28th, inmate A, who was raising a child at a detention center in the Seoul metropolitan area last May, filed a complaint stating that the detention center did not provide enough diapers.

At the time of the complaint, A was raising a child approximately 7 to 8 months old and claimed that the amount of diapers provided by the detention center was insufficient, forcing them to purchase diapers at their own expense or sometimes receive sanitary pads instead of diapers.

The detention center rebutted, stating that they provided diapers as requested by A. They also explained that sanitary pads were not provided as a substitute; rather, since A did not apply for diapers in advance and suddenly claimed a shortage, they replaced them with remaining flat-type diapers.

In response, the NHRCK pointed out that "According to the National Health Information Portal of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, newborns should have their diapers changed at least 10 times a day, and around the age of one, 7 to 8 times a day," highlighting the problem that the detention center provided only a minimum of 35 diapers per week.

They added, "For A’s child, who was 7 to 8 months old at the time of the complaint, providing at least 70 diapers per week would have been necessary to maintain the minimum required hygiene."

Furthermore, the NHRCK claimed that the detention center’s insufficient provision of childcare supplies infringed upon the dignity, value, and right to pursue happiness of A and their child.

They recommended that the Minister of Justice concretize detailed standards for the upbringing of female inmates within correctional facilities in relevant laws and regulations, and update the standards for providing essential childcare supplies such as diapers to reflect reality.

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