Assault Occurs at Specialized Childcare Facility for Disabled Children in Jinju, Gyeongnam
Nine people, including daycare teachers who repeatedly abused children with developmental disabilities hundreds of times, have been arrested by the police.
According to the Women and Juvenile Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on the 16th, they are accused of habitually assaulting 15 children aged 4 to 12 with autism or developmental disabilities over 500 times at a daycare center in Jinju City from June to August 2022.
CCTV footage from the daycare center showed teachers abusing children multiple times a day by hitting them with their hands or kicking their stomachs with their feet.
They were seen dragging children by their arms and legs, pushing them to fall backward, and covering children who did not take naps with pillows and blankets in a manner that appeared to be abusive.
During police investigations, most of the offending teachers admitted to the crimes, stating that they disciplined the children because they were difficult to handle, as the children could not communicate well and did not follow instructions.
This daycare center is a specialized childcare facility for children with disabilities, with all 38 enrolled children having autism or developmental disabilities.
The victimized children reportedly scream while sleeping, shout at the sight of the daycare center’s vehicle, and refuse to go outside.
The case came to light on August 4, 2022, when a parent noticed a wound on their child's nose and checked the daycare center’s CCTV footage.
The police have been conducting a joint investigation with Jinju City for five months and applied for arrest warrants on the 15th for four people, including a daycare teacher in their 20s identified as A.
Two other childcare workers with relatively minor offenses, as well as the director responsible for management and the corporation, totaling five people, were booked without detention.
Once the arrest warrants are issued, the suspects will be handed over to the prosecution.
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