South Korean intellectually disabled woman was sexually assaulted by the dean for a long time: the victim finally dared to speak out

Author, Juna Moon

Character, BBC Korean Correspondent

Posted 3 minutes ago

Reading time: 5 minutes

"I've been in pain inside, so I'm telling my story."

This is what (Seo Mi-hyeon; transliteration) said to the police for the first time.

Due to mental retardation, Xu Meixian has difficulty organizing long sentences and can only communicate through short words and gestures. But she has very clear memories of her own assault.

She is one of three residents of a public care facility in South Korea (South Korea). The director of the institution sexually assaulted them, a case that shocked the country and raised serious questions about the country's care system for people with disabilities.

Earlier this month, a court in Seoul sentenced the director to 15 years in prison. Due to legal regulations, he is only publicly identified by his surname Kim. Kim has appealed his conviction.

The court made the above ruling nearly two years after Xu Meixian first disclosed to her mother that she had been assaulted.

The names of Seo Mee-hyun and another victim in this article have been changed to protect their identities.

"I can only endure it silently"

Xu Meixian has been living in Saekdongwon (색동원; Saekdongwon), a residential care facility for people with intellectual disabilities since 2016.

This institution is located in Incheon, and all operating expenses are subsidized by the government. There are still about 33 residents living there, although it was required to close due to this case.

According to Seo, the abuse began shortly after she moved in. Kim would go to her room at night or early in the morning and rape her.

Seo Mi-hyun said through her lawyer Ko Eun-young (고은영; Ko Eun-young) that there was no adult in the home to whom she could talk about the abuse, and she said she felt that other staff would not help her. The home has not responded to the allegation.

This life lasted for nearly 10 years until the case was exposed in February 2025. Xu suffered a head injury at that time.

She said that happened when Kim tried to sexually assault her. She blocked him with her hands and he threw a glass at her.

Her lawyer told the court that the hospital sent Xu Meixian to the hospital and notified her mother of the incident after her head wound was sutured.

According to Seo Meixian's lawyer, Seo Meixian's mother had requested to see the CCTV footage to find out how her daughter was injured, but the home refused, saying it had no right to provide her with relevant images.

So her mother took her home and decided to withdraw her from the institution. It was only after Xu Meixian was told that she did not need to return to the institution that she disclosed the sexual abuse to her mother, who subsequently reported the incident to the police.

Xu Meixian told the BBC through her lawyer: "Because I was told that I would not have to go back to the sex center, I felt it was safe to speak out."

When asked how she had endured it all on her own for so many years, she replied: "I just endured it."

The police later expanded the scope of the investigation into Xu's accusations and extended the investigation to other residents.

Police found at least two other suspected victims, including Lee Mi-Na. She said she was also raped by Kim while sitting on the toilet.

Earlier this month, a judge ruled that the testimony of all three victims was credible.

Kim was sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping Lee Mina and Seo Mi-hyun, five years less than the sentence originally sought by prosecutors. He denies all charges and has appealed the ruling.

As for the third victim, Kim was found guilty of a lesser crime of sexual violence. The judge said the rape charges against her were dropped because no conclusive evidence could be found to prove "the use of force or threats that rendered the victim unable to resist".

The Joint Response Committee, made up of disability rights groups and other citizen groups, criticized the ruling, saying the victim's ability to resist the attack should not affect the outcome of his case.

The committee also criticized the investigation process, saying authorities failed to identify more potential victims.

In November last year, after the initial allegations of abuse emerged, the Ganghwa County local government commissioned a team from Woosuk University to conduct an in-depth assessment of the residents of the sex facility.

The report was later submitted as evidence to the court. The report pointed out that there were signs that more residents, at least 10 people, may have been sexually assaulted by Kim.

But the court did not address this finding during the trial.

According to local media reports, police had difficulty identifying the specific details of the abuse allegations when visiting residents at the facility, as most of the residents have severe disabilities and face communication difficulties. It was reported that some residents' responses were unrelated to the questions, while some did not respond at all.

Kim has not responded to allegations that he may have abused more residents.

Professor Jeon Ji-su (전지수 교수는; Prof Jeon Ji-su), who leads the Uoseok University research team, told the BBC that investigators would only accept statements "from people who can describe the abuse in complete sentences."

But rights activists say this reliance on oral testimony has led to police failing to identify some residents who have greater communication difficulties as victims.

Baek In-seong (백인성; Baek In-seong) of the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center for People with Disabilities (Hansahoe) said: "If the way victims express their experiences is different from what we expect, should the country make more efforts to listen to their voices?"

The police said: "While there may be deficiencies in individual cases, they should not be considered representative of the overall investigation."

Human rights groups also criticized those who interceded for Kim.

It is said that before the verdict, a total of 13 petitions requesting a lighter sentence were submitted to the court. One of them came from a social welfare organization, requesting the court to consider "the defendant's contribution to the welfare sector."

Welfare advocacy group Gyeol condemned the agency that submitted the petition, saying: "Past service in the welfare field does not exempt anyone from responsibility."

In finding Kim guilty, the judge noted that his crime was "particularly despicable" because "despite his professional duty to protect and support the rights and interests of (the victim) and prevent abuse, he took advantage of the unequal power relationship with the victim to satisfy his own sexual desires."

Public concern and protests

The case shocked many South Koreans and raised questions about why the abuse was not prevented in the first place. What is even more shocking is that the incident occurred after South Korea strengthened laws to protect people with disabilities from sexual assault in 2011.

That year, a drama movie called "The Crucible" was released. The film is adapted from a real-life rape case that occurred in a school for deaf-mute children. Amid intense public attention and outcry, the schools involved were eventually closed, leading to the enactment of stricter laws.

These measures include adding a more detailed classification of sex crimes against people with disabilities, increasing the penalties for crimes committed by residential directors and staff, and removing the statute of limitations for some rape cases involving disabled victims.

However, in the case of the sex facility, abuse continued despite ongoing routine inspections by Ganghwa County, the local authority responsible for overseeing the facility.

A county government official told the BBC that such inspections focus mainly on document reviews, with residents being interviewed only if specific issues arise.

The official said that the authorities had also set up an external monitoring team, but had never received any relevant reports from staff, and expressed regret that the authorities did not conduct a more in-depth review of the situation in the institutions.

Jo Ha (조하; Jo Ha), a representative of the National Association of Support Counseling and Protection Facilities for Women with Disabilities Victims of Victims of Violence (전여상보협; All Women's Injury Protection Association), which has assisted some victims of sexual abuse homes, said that some of the family members she has contacted have long suspected that there is abuse in the homes, but feel unable to raise questions.

For these families, leaving residential care means having to take full responsibility for care themselves, as it is not easy to find alternative placements.

A survey by the National Association of Parents of Residential Residents of Persons with Disabilities found that about 60 per cent of those who successfully secured a place in residential care had waited at least three years, highlighting the difficulties in accessing appropriate care.

Professor Kim Yoon-tae, director of the Institute of Cognitive Science at Wooseok University, pointed out that such institutions have great control over the daily lives of residents. Everything from what to eat and where to sleep to access to medical services and even whether they are allowed to go out are all decided by the institution.

Zhao He added that the sex abuse facility was considered an "indicative case" because of the scale and duration of the abuse, but it was not an isolated incident.

In 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the original verdict, in which a residential care staff member was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping or sexually assaulting two mentally retarded women in an institution in Yeongcheon the previous year.

In another case that occurred in Anseong, a care home staff member was recently sentenced to six years in prison for repeatedly raping a physically and mentally disabled female resident in 2022.

"The violence experienced by women with disabilities is not a personal issue," Zhao He said.

"This is structural violence, formed by the intersection of gender, disability, institutionalization, poverty and social isolation," she said.

"We want to live in peace"

Since the case came to light, South Korea's Prime Minister has ordered the establishment of an inter-departmental response team and described the incident as "so important that it even calls into question the fundamental reason for the country's existence."

In April this year, the government said it had inspected 1,507 accommodation facilities for people with disabilities nationwide and found 33 suspected cases of abuse. So far, eight cases have been investigated.

However, the closure measures will be suspended until the remaining residents have completed their placement and independent living arrangements.

When asked what was the biggest change after leaving Se Dong Yuan, Seo Mi-hyun said: "I just feel calm. I am happy every day."

She added that the best thing is being able to eat and rest freely when she wants to eat and sleep.

What she hopes most at the moment is to "completely sever ties with the dean and never have anything to do with him again."

But Seo added that people with disabilities still need a place where they can feel safe.

She said: "I hope there will be a home without sexual violence so that people with disabilities like us can live in peace."

If you feel distressed, hopeless, and in need of support, please consider seeking help from a medical professional or support organization. If you are in the UK, you can visit BBC Action Line.

Other support organization information:

Mainland China (+86): All-China Women’s Federation hotline 12338; White Ribbon charity hotline 4000110391

Taiwan (+886): Ministry of Health and Welfare Protective Services Department Hotline 113; Modern Women’s Foundation Taipei Sexual Assault Prevention Service Hotline (02) 77285098 Extension 7

Hong Kong (+852): Feng Yulan hotline 2375 5322; Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Chi Ruo Yuan 18281; Caritas Bright Sky Project 3104 1221

Macau (+853): Anglican Communion 24-hour Sexual Assault Support and Counseling Hotline 6533 9608