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Investigation and Remedial Measures for Human Rights Violation by Prosecutors and Police [2003] KRNHRC 5 (1 January 2003)

(1) Requested to Investigate Cruel Acts during Police Investigation
The hypodermal bleeding on the laryngeal region of the complainant was
caused due to cruel acts by police during the all night interrogation in the
interrogation room of Police Station. The complainant, who had been
arrested on charges of robbery and rape, was beaten 25 30 times on the back
of his head by the palm of a policeman's hand or fist or with books whenever
he denied the charges against him. The blows caused his head to repeatedly
fall to the table. Due to the sequela of hypodermal bleeding, he showed
symptoms of emesis, nausea, and general paralysis. The complainant confessed
to the charge of rape but not to the charges of robbery, and he filed a complaint
with the Commission, retracting the confession and claiming that it had been
made under extreme duress during the investigation.

Concluding that there was very good reason to believe cruel acts such as
beating had been done to the complainant during investigation and that these
constituted criminal acts of violence and cruel acts under Article 125 of the
Criminal Act, the Commission requested the Attorney General to open an
investigation on charges of police brutality.