Content warning for discussions on child abuse
If you are sensitive to this topic
Feel free to stop at any time
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In elementary school
I had this classmate who came from a poor family
This kid had to attend school during the day
And help his single father with work at night
Unsurprisingly
He wasn't very good at school works
So, one day, after failing an exam
Our headteacher openly insulted him
She called him, and I quote:
"A bastard without a mother"
That was not an isolating incident
The most frustrating thing is
There was no place for us to complain against her
Our parents only asked our teachers about us
And rarely asked us about our teachers
So, her toxic behaviors continued until we graduated
But that was nothing
Compare to what I have to show you today
Silenced is a 2011 South Korean drama film
Based on true events that took place
At a school for children with hearing impairments
And nothing
Nothing will prepare you for what you're about to hear
It is one of the most gut-wrenching movies I have ever watched
But it is also one of the most important films ever made
In the history of Korean cinema
It's a heavy movie
But I want us all to face the heavy issue
So, let me show you the story of
Silenced
[The Film That Changed South Korea]
[Chapter One]
"Why are you going to Ja-ae Academy?"
"To teach kids"
In-ho is a newly hired art teacher at Ja-ae Academy
Where he teaches children with hearing impairments
(Awarded Best School in Mujin)
And despite his best effort to be friendly
The students all keep themselves at a distance
We meet Yeon-doo
A girl who's always cold and closed off
Yoo-ri
An absent-minded girl who's always eating
And Min-su
A boy who shows up in class late With bruises on his face
The film spends a good deal of time building up a mystery
It's suspicious
But, for a moment
Assume you don't know the premise of the film
"Min-su?"
"His younger brother died in a train accident a few days ago"
These are also perfectly common behaviors for children
Boys being boys, right?
"A disability in body"
"Leads to an impairment in mentality"
Our protagonist, being a good teacher
Try to look into their files
To see what their problems are
And this is the insidious part:
What "THEIR PROBLEMS" are
"An orphan?"
It's so easy to believe a problematic child is problematic
Due to their own fault
That night
In-ho heard a crying voice coming from the school bathroom
"Is someone in there?"
But then...
The security stops him
"Kids here make strange noises for fun"
It's just easier to believe the adults are the trustworthy authorities
And the children are the problematic ones
Even the best of intentions often aren't enough
To combat this inherent bias
In-ho walks away
Nothing will prepare you for what you'll see next
[Chapter Two]
Trigger warning for violent abuse against children
"Stand straight"
"Keep your manner even when getting hit"
That is how Min-su got his bruises
"Mr. Park"
"What's the matter?"
We only ever ask teachers about children
And rarely ask children about their teachers
"This kid sneaked out of residence last night"
"With two girls at that"
But when we do ask children for their stories
We may realize the world is much different
From their perspective
And it is a shocking perspective
Trigger warning for...
Sexual assault against children
"Yeon-du was..."
"Molested"
"By the principal"
From Yeon-du's words
We get to see the rotten side of the school
We learn that there were multiple assailants
With many victims
"Is someone in there?"
"The cops sent the kids who went to report it back to the school"
"That's why they were beaten"
With the children's testimony
They seek help from the authorities at the Office of Education
"After school?"
"That's not our jurisdiction"
They go to the police
"How can we handcuff him"
"Based on what some deaf kids say?"
And this is how evil persists
When good people do nothing
It seems very exaggerated
But this is exactly why victims of domestic abuse
Don't often seek help
In a survey published by the National Domestic Violence Hotline
Nearly half of the surveyed victims of domestic violence
Felt discriminated against by the police
2 in 3 women who contacted the police
Are afraid to call the police in the future
And the number one reason being
"The police would not believe them or would do nothing"
And, perhaps the worst statistic of them all
1 in 4 women was arrested or threatened with arrest
For reporting incidents or sexual assault or abuse
We all love to express outrage against abuse
But the reality is
Even you and I are not as ready to help as we think
When In-ho first witnesses his colleague violently assaults Min-su
In-ho, too, fails to act
It's physical punishment
A bit extreme, but...
Not that bad... right?
We have this bias towards authority figures
In this case, we trust the teacher
More than a problematic child
We don't know who's the bad guy
So we choose not to act
"Mr. Park"
"What's the matter?"
We really should've stopped the fight
Instead of asking questions
Evil persists
Because we do nothing
"Just like the kids you teach"
"Close your ears and mouth and just do your job"
Thankfully, News media picks up the story
The case goes to court
But the nightmare has just begun
[Chapter Three]
"Do not forgive those evil forces who frame our elders!"
At the trial
We get to see how the judicial system operates
"Privileges of former post"
In South Korean
There is an informal rule called "privileges of former post"
When a retired judge or a public prosecutor
Go on to become a lawyer in private practice
They can receive special treatments
"Retired judges are given a favorable ruling"
"At their first trial in practice"
Unsurprisingly, the defense lawyer is a former judge
Witness tampering
The defense calls in two witnesses
Both of which lied in their testimony
The security guard can't afford to lose his job
Meaning it is in his best interests to help the principal
The doctor who examined the victims
Claimed that the victims do not appear to be sexually assaulted
She's also connected to the principal
Settle out of court
"The prosecutor said molestation of kids at or above 13"
"Can be annulled if they settle with the victim's parents"
Perhaps unsurprisingly
Living in poverty
The parents of some children
Accepted the settlements
"Min-su's grandmother saw the money"
"And signed right away"
"Who forgave him?"
"I didn't forgive him!"
Turns out
The judicial system isn't there to help vulnerable people
It's just a game to be won
Just like the individual in the system
The system itself is also apathetic
The lack of empathy can be seen here
"Which one took off your clothes and hurt you?"
"All three"
Victims have to expose their painful memories in public
Just for a chance to see some justice
Not to mention, this
"Is it possible for such a young girl"
"And a man to have sexual relations?"
"Even if it was, without the girl's voluntary consent"
"It's impossible!"
This is the reality abuse victims have to face
Everyone within this system is doing their job
But no one is helping
And these children
They cannot hear or speak without the help of others
Their voices are silenced
Luckily
The prosecution dismantled all witness testimony
And brought in irrefutable evidence
Every single accused is convicted
And they all received
Probation...
Evil prevails
[Conclusion]
"I was there when she was being abused"
"Is someone in there?"
"But..."
"I didn't help"
If there is a movie that changed the world
This is it
Two months after the film came out
The school in question was finally shut down
The case was reopened
And the school administrator was sentenced to 12 years in prison
For sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student
That same year
South Korea passed a bill named after this film
Abolishing the statute of limitations for sexual assaults
Against children under 13 and people with disabilities
The maximum sentence was also raised
But perhaps the most important thing this film did
Is to remind us of the darkness inside all of us
We, collectively, have not done a good job
Listening to the voices of children
The voices of the vulnerable
The voices of the helpless
As the film has shown
It is so easy to become part of a system
That enables abuser
All we need is to do nothing
This film changed South Korea
Because it changed people
It made people care
It made people reach out to the ones who need help
Hopefully, after you give it a watch
It'll change you
Into a better person, too