the government has toughened punishment for sex crimes against people with disabilities. the measures, announced friday, came following public outcry over the mild punishments given to teachers at a special school for the hearing-impaired in gwangju, who raped and sexually assaulted their students.

the sex crimes at inhwa school, which were committed for five years starting in 2000, were recently brought back into the spotlight by a local box-office hit titled “dogani,” which means “crucible” or “cauldron” in english. the film turned the nation into a cauldron of seething public outrage.