Gov't to toughen punishment for sexual crimes on disabled

Teachers and aspiring teachers will be permanently barred from working at schools, if they have a record of being convicted or fined for sex crimes, the government said Friday, announcing a set of new measures to crack down on sexual abuse of young students, especially disabled teens. The measures call for raising the maximum jail term for rapists of the disabled from the current three years to five years and forcing all convicted of sexual attacks on the disabled to wear an electronic anklet. In addition, those suspected of sexually abusing the disable can be indicted even without a complaint from the victim, under the government's bid to eliminate possible loopholes in the current law. The measures focused on toughening punishment for sex crimes on the disabled come amid the popularity of a Korean film based on the appalling real-life story of teachers sexually abusing their disabled students for years. The film "Dogani," whose English title is "The Crucible," prompted public outcry not only because the crime happened at a Gwangju school for the disabled for years from 2000 but also because the convicted teachers received light punishments. Of the six teachers charged, only two received actual jail terms, both less than a year, with the others getting suspended terms and acquitted of charges mainly because the victims' parents agreed to cancel their accusations in return for compensation. "The government will respond sternly to any sexual assault on the socially weak so the crime can be eradicated eventually," Yim Jong-yong, minister of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said in a press briefing. According to the measures jointly set up by six relevant government offices, including the Prime Minister's Office, the education, justice and welfare ministries, those who sexually assault the disabled will face up to five years of imprisonment. Teachers who are fined 1 million won (US$840) or more for sex assault will be fired and barred from working again as a teacher. Under the present system, a jail term or heavier punishment can be a reason for denying employment of a person as a teacher or removing a teacher from the job. Students will be disciplined more strictly when they sexually assault their disabled peers than when they do the same to normal students, the government said, adding that schools will be recommended to change their rules in that direction. As for the Gwangju school in question, the government said it has decided to take quick steps to forcibly shut it down while taking measures to protect its students. Teachers involved in the incident will be ousted from the job and the authorities will conduct a thorough probe to determine whether there were additional sexual assaults on students and any corruption by the school foundation, the government added.