The Prosecution Confirms Some Negligence at Busan Detention Center
[Busan=Newsis] Reporter Lee Areum – In connection with the death of a 20-year-old inmate at Busan Detention Center, three fellow inmates have been prosecuted on charges including murder.
The Busan District Prosecutors’ Office’s Western Branch, specializing in human rights, women’s issues, and violent crimes, announced on the 29th that they have indicted three fellow inmates, A (22), B (21), and C (28), for charges including murder related to the death of inmate D (24).
According to the prosecution, A and others are accused of repeatedly assaulting victim D over hygiene issues and mistakes from mid-August, even though they knew D was in a weakened state, leading to D’s death.
It was revealed that they assaulted D daily because of his small stature. Prosecutors noted that B and C attempted to leave no marks by targeting the neck area or rendering D unconscious using a chokehold.
After A joined the cell in late August, he became aware of B and C’s assaults and participated in the acts. A was found to have committed severe abuse, such as hitting D with a fan in the cell, causing a laceration on his forehead and injuring his toes severely by jamming them against a table.
On September 7, from around 2:40 PM for about 20 minutes, they assaulted D repeatedly. B reportedly put prison pants over D’s head and held him down while A and C punched and kicked his abdomen multiple times. When D collapsed, they helped him stand up and continued the assault.
D was transported to a nearby hospital after receiving CPR and other emergency measures but died at 5:07 PM the same day due to blunt force abdominal trauma.
The prosecution undertook additional investigations by interviewing the bereaved family, conducting on-site verification at the detention center, reviewing medical records and CCTV, and interviewing suspects and witnesses after receiving the case from a special judicial police officer at the Busan Detention Center.
As a result, they specified the details of the crime method and proved the defendants had an “intent to kill.” They also uncovered habitual assaults by the defendants preceding the victim’s death.
Consequently, they pressed additional charges—special assault against A and habitual assault against B and C. They also noted attempts by the defendants to conceal the ongoing harassment. Additionally, it was noted that despite the victim having a history of moving cells due to past assaults, the Busan Detention Center failed to adequately supervise the situation.
The prosecution communicated these findings to the relevant department of the Ministry of Justice and requested follow-up measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.