Committee suggests ban on sex offenders from welfare work

A governmental advisory committee suggested Friday that sex offenders should be prohibited from working for social welfare organizations and facilities. The proposal comes in the wake of high-profile sex crimes committed by teachers against disabled students at a special education institution from 2000 to 2005.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday that the special committee on strengthening the transparency of welfare institutions and human rights finalized recommendations to strengthen the rights of the disabled and to prevent sex crimes against them.

The committee added that welfare facilities where sex crimes were repeated or committed collectively will be subject to closure, according to officials.

The committee was organized after the movie “Dogani,” portraying sex crimes against disabled students at Inhwa School in Gwangju, sparked widespread public outrage and calls for strengthened punishment of sex crimes against the disabled.

“We will make sure the recommendations are included in the revised welfare law during the review process at the National Assembly,” said officials from the Health and Welfare Ministry.

But the revised welfare law is currently pending due to parliament gridlock following the unilateral passage of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement by the ruling Grand National Party last month.

The committee also suggested that one-quarter of the board members of welfare bodies be filled with members recommended by local welfare committees and that the total board number be increased from five to seven.

It also added that a member of a welfare corporation who commits illegal activities should be fired.

In the wake of the Inhwa School case, the government toughened measures against sex crimes on the disabled and increased penalties.

Lawmakers passed a bill lifting the statue of limitations on rapes committed against children under 13 as well as the disabled as criticism mounted over light punishment of offenders at Inhwa where two teachers escaped punishment as the statue of limitations on their cases had expired.

The government in October changed the law so that sex offenders who target children or the disabled can be prosecuted with or without the victim’s complaint and first-time offenders wear electronic tagging devices.

Prosecution of general sex crimes cannot proceed without a victim’s complaint under the current law.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)