3 teachers in Gyeonggi are suspected of sexual abuse

The alumni association of a girls’ high school in Gyeonggi filed complaints against three teachers who allegedly had sexual relations with two students from 2011 to 2012.

The deputy president of the alumni association filed a petition to the prosecution on Monday demanding an investigation of the teachers for rape and indecent assault. The teachers were not named.

According to the deputy president, one of the two students received counseling at a local youth counseling and welfare center several times and related that she had sexual relationships with three teachers. She said the school tried to cover up the case when they were notified by the center in March 2013. Some of the teachers are believed to still be teaching at the school.

The association visited the school on April 21 and asked that the three teachers be dismissed. The following day, a 37-year-old teacher handed in his resignation, citing unspecified personal reasons, and disappeared.

The provincial education office launched an investigation into the school and the counseling center after a request by the alumni association. But the office has not discovered anything yet because the student who received counseling and her parents requested their names not be disclosed.

“We heard in March 2013 that a high school student had counseling about supposed sexual relations with teachers,” the principal of the high school said. “The center asked us to monitor students because the student said she may commit suicide if other people found out about it.”

The principal said the school asked the counseling center to disclose names of the people involved. The center said the student would have to directly accuse the teachers under regulations.

Only the victims of sex crimes could file complaints against offenders until the law was revised on June 19, 2013. Now, people who learn about the crimes can make criminal complaints. The school was unable to discover who were involved in the case after consulting with students and male teachers.

“After the petition [by the alumni association] was transferred to us on April 22, we visited the local counseling center for investigation, but they denied us any details,” said an official from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.

BY KIM BONG-MOON AND JEON ICK-JIN [bongmoon@joongang.co.kr]