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Legal Assistance for Suicide and Medical Treatment Requested [2004] KRNHRC 2 (1 January 2004)

The mates of the victim, who had been held in OO Prison, filed a complaint about the
failure of the prison to take proper measures after they asked for medical treatment for the
victim, who was experiencing difficulty in breathing for about six days before his death.
The mates claimed that the failure to take proper action had led to the victim's death, and
the Commission recognized that the respondent organ did not act property in an emergency
situation and requested legal assistance from the Korean Bar Association so that proper
compensation could be made to the bereaved family of the victim.

In another complaint about a victim held in OO Prison, who had been complaining of
headaches and inflammation of the middle ear for fifteen days before his death, the prison
had not provided proper medical treatment, leading to the death of the victim. The Commission
recognized the possibility of negligence in observation and mistakes by the medical staff
leading to the death, and requested legal assistance from the Korean Bar Association.

The Commission also concluded that the respondent prison did not pay sufficient
attention to the inmate who committed suicide at OO Prison despite the fact that the inmate
had shown various indications of suicidal intent before he actually killed himself. The
Commission made a recommendation to the Minister of Justice that separate measures taken
to prevent suicides of inmates and that other measures be taken to observe the psychological
state of inmates who were punished within prisons for long periods of time and to improve
counseling and educational programs. In addition, the Commission requested the Korean
Bar Association for legal assistance so that proper compensation could be made to the
bereaved family of the victim.