South Korea jails ex-police chief over deadly Halloween crush that killed 159
Two other police officers were also convicted of professional negligence resulting in the deaths of victims mostly in their 20s and 30s
It was the first conviction of officials over the failure by authorities to prevent or adequately respond to the overcrowding that occurred in the popular Itaewon district. No top-level officials have been charged or held accountable, prompting criticism from bereaved families and opposition politicians.
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The Seoul Western District Court on Monday sentenced Lee Im-jae, the former chief of Seoul’s Yongsan police station, whose jurisdiction includes Itaewon, to three years in prison. It sentenced another Yongsan police officer to two years in prison and gave a third officer a suspended two-year term.
The three officers were convicted of professional negligence resulting in death. The court ruled that the crush wasn’t a natural disaster and could have been prevented or the toll reduced if the three officers had prepared properly for the crowd, alerted others of the danger quickly and supervised other police officers appropriately.
The police officers and prosecutors can both appeal the ruling.
