At least 19 disabled women sexually abused at care facility: report

An investigation by a university research team has uncovered evidence of extensive sexual abuse involving 19 women living in a care facility for people with disabilities in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, a local media outlet reported Monday.

According to the Korean-language daily JoongAng Ilbo, all female patients at the facility were allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by the center’s chief last year. Police have launched an investigation and said they will conduct additional inquiries based on the research team’s findings.

The victims ranged from their thirties to their sixties. Nineteen are currently residents of the facility and two others lived there until recently. All had been residents for at least five years -- some for more than 16 years -- and 13 had no family members.

The report said the facility’s chief was referred to as “dad,” and allegedly assaulted residents despite their protests. In some cases, he was viewed as their only guardian, with certain victims attempting to interfere with others’ accounts of what happened.

Because many residents had limited verbal communication skills, researchers relied on gestures, drawings and photographs to document their testimonies.

The case first surfaced in March 2025, prompting police to search the facility. Investigators initially struggled to collect statements from victims, leading Ganghwa-gun officials to commission the university researchers to conduct a deeper probe.

The same research team previously investigated the notorious mass sexual abuse case in Gwangju involving at least nine children and young adults with disabilities.