Three inmates investigated over group assault on fellow prisoner at Busan Detention Center
In short
Busan Detention Center's special judicial police team said on 20 October that it is investigating three inmates on suspicion of assaulting another inmate on the 1st of last month. Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo reported the victim was beaten and abused repeatedly for about a week and needed hospital treatment outside the facility.
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Busan Detention Center's special judicial police team said on 20 October that it is investigating three inmates on suspicion of assault. The three are suspected of assaulting one other inmate at the detention center on the 1st of last month. All three outlets described it as another group assault on a fellow inmate at the facility. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo reported that the suspects are known to have repeatedly beaten and abused the victim for about a week, giving as the reason that the victim was not performing the work assigned inside the detention center properly. According to both, the victim was badly injured and received treatment at a hospital outside the facility. Newsis also reported that the victim was treated at an outside hospital, but did not give a reason for the assault or say how long it lasted. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo said the detention center is investigating whether the suspects also assaulted other inmates. A detention center official told Yonhap the facility is checking whether there are other victims and plans to wrap up the investigation and send the case to the public prosecution office (공소청) soon. Chosun Ilbo quoted the official in similar terms. Newsis quoted an official as saying two suspects are to be sent to the public prosecution office, and did not explain how that figure relates to the three inmates under investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
All three outlets said assaults on fellow inmates have been recurring at the facility, and they cited earlier cases, but they date them differently. Yonhap reported that in August three inmates charged with habitually beating a fellow inmate to death were each sentenced to nine years in prison, and that in September two inmates charged with group assault and sexual assault of an inmate who shared their room were sentenced to 2 years 6 months and 3 years respectively. Chosun Ilbo gave the same cases as this August and last month. Newsis instead dated the nine-year sentence to 7 September last year, and sentences of 3 years and 2 years 6 months for habitual assault and forcible indecent assault of a fellow inmate to January and February this year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The outlets present this as another case in a series of inmate-on-inmate assaults at the same detention center, with earlier cases already ending in prison sentences. The documents do not say what measures the facility is taking beyond the investigation.
Key facts
- Busan Detention Center's special judicial police team said on 20 October that it is investigating three inmates on suspicion of assault. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The three are suspected of assaulting one other inmate at the detention center on the 1st of last month. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The victim was treated at a hospital outside the facility. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The suspects are reported to have repeatedly beaten and abused the victim for about a week because the victim was not performing assigned work in the facility properly. [ 1 , 3 ]
- A detention center official said the case is to be sent to the public prosecution office (공소청) after the investigation is completed. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The detention center's special judicial police team is investigating three inmates on suspicion of assaulting a fellow inmate on the 1st of last month, and the victim received treatment at an outside hospital. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A detention center official said the facility plans to refer the case to the public prosecution office. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- How many suspects will be referred to prosecutors Newsis quotes an official as saying two suspects will be referred, while Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo quote an official saying the case will be referred after the investigation is wrapped up, without giving a number.
- Whether there are other victims Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo say the detention center is checking whether the suspects assaulted other inmates; no result is reported.
- Dates of earlier sentencing cases Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo place the nine-year sentences in August and the sentences of 2 years 6 months and 3 years in September (Chosun Ilbo: last month), while Newsis dates the nine-year case to 7 September last year and the other sentences to January and February this year.