The U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Division is looking into claims children at the Isaac House Orphanage were abused by a U.S. soldier. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)
CAMP RED CLOUD, South Korea — The nature of a U.S. soldier’s involvement with the Isaac Children’s Home orphanage in Uijongbu is under investigation, U.S. Army officials have confirmed.
Staff at the orphanage interviewed by Stars and Stripes confirmed in late March that they were cooperating with a U.S. Army investigation to determine whether the soldier may have sexually abused one of the home’s children.
Chris Grey, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, said CID is looking into allegations involving a U.S. soldier.
“During the course of a criminal investigation involving a U.S. soldier stationed in the U.S., and unrelated to the Isaac House Orphanage in Korea, information came to light concerning the accused soldier’s connection to the orphanage a few years ago,” Grey wrote in an e-mail in late April. “These allegations are under investigation.” The soldier no longer is in South Korea, Grey stated. Officials said the soldier is being held in pre-trial confinement. The investigation continues, the spokesman wrote.
“To protect the integrity of the investigation, no (additional) information will be provided at this time,” he stated in his e-mail.
Maj. Michael Lawhorn, 2nd Infantry Division spokesman, confirmed Thursday that the soldier under investigation had served with the unit in South Korea.
When interviewed by Stars and Stripes in late March, Isaac Children’s Home director No Hye-soon said she was aware of the sexual abuse allegations; the director said she was cooperating with the Army’s investigation.
She said she had discussed the allegations only with CID and had not taken the matter to the Korean National Police.
“The reason we decided to cooperate with CID was because I want the attacker to be punished. I am already ashamed and embarrassed beyond description,” she said.
The children at Isaac Children’s Home are special, No added: “They are not normal children who grow up and are raised in normal households with parents. They are orphans.”
A U.S. Army Area I Web site quotes No as saying that the orphanage has had a long relationship with U.S. soldiers. U.S. units continued their relationship with the orphanage — one of three in Uijongbu — at least until Feb. 5, when 2nd ID soldiers from Camp Stanley donated quilts to orphans from Isaac Children’s home as Lunar New Year gifts.
Hwang Hae-rym contributed to this report.
