Two police officers in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, were indicted without detention on Tuesday on suspicion of assaulting a Chinese man during an arrest and illegally closing the case without due investigation.
The Chuncheon District Prosecutor’s Office said it indicted the two officers on charges of assault by a public official in the course of duty and abuse of authority.
According to the indictment, the officers repeatedly assaulted the man while arresting him on suspicion of stalking. Prosecutors said the officers also attempted to prevent the assault from coming to light by instructing investigators to close the case without filing charges and without referring the case to the prosecution.
The prosecutors said this exploited the immigration status of the victim, who was staying in the country illegally, making him less likely to report the assault or object to the case closing.
The prosecution added that the office would “do its utmost to ensure that the defendants receive punishment commensurate with the gravity of their crimes.”
It added that authorities would also “closely examine whether human rights protection procedures are being properly implemented at frontline police stations and work to safeguard the rights of all individuals involved.”
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
