The stepmother who confined her stepson in a travel bag, causing him to go into cardiac arrest, is entering the Cheonan branch of Daejeon District Court on the 3rd for a warrant hearing. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Amid public outrage over a woman in her 40s who locked her 9-year-old stepson in a travel suitcase, leading to his death, netizens have found and are criticizing an online shopping mall presumed to be operated by the stepmother.
As of 7 a.m. on the 8th, about 400 critical comments were posted on the 'Q&A' board of the shopping mall homepage known to be run by stepmother A (43). Netizens expressed their anger with comments such as "Don't come out of prison and receive divine punishment," "Do you sell the carrier you should be put in?" and "You are not even human."
Additionally, A's personal Instagram account, believed to be hers, spread through online communities, resulting in a flood of abusive and critical comments on the account. The account has since been deleted.
Several petitions demanding severe punishment for A have also been posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.
On the 4th, a petition titled "A 9-year-old child who was confined in a travel suitcase due to child abuse and fell into an unconscious state has finally died. Please punish child abuse severely" was posted on the National Petition Board.
The petitioner stated, "There are dozens of children who have died from child abuse, and the number of children who survived without dying is several times that. It is truly heartbreaking and infuriating," and raised their voice, saying, "I want to ask why such incidents keep happening and why institutional measures are still not in place."
They added, "There are systems, but why are they not properly enforced? Are there no more effective systems? Practical measures are urgently needed," and urged for related countermeasures, requesting "to receive a response including practical measures."
On the 4th, a petition titled "A 9-year-old child who was confined in a travel suitcase due to child abuse and fell into an unconscious state has finally passed away. Please severely punish child abuse" was posted on the National Petition Board. Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture
As of 7:30 a.m. on the 8th, the petition had gained 51,027 supporters. Other petitions have also been posted, including "We urge the improvement of the Child Abuse Prevention Act," "Please revise the Child Protection Act for the eradication of child abuse and establish a practical post-protection system for affected children," and "Please disclose the identity of the stepmother who locked the child in a bag and killed him."
Earlier, A was arrested on the 3rd on charges of abusing her stepson by confining him in a travel suitcase for 7 hours.
Lee Min-young, the warrant judge at Cheonan Branch of Daejeon District Court, issued an arrest warrant for A on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (Child Abuse Punishment Act) on the same day. The judge explained the reason for issuing the warrant, stating, "Considering the seriousness of the case, there is a risk of evidence destruction and flight."
According to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency investigating the case, the stepson B (9) was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest at a multi-unit housing complex in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, at around 7:25 p.m. on the 1st. B was transferred to a hospital in Cheonan for treatment but ultimately died at 6:30 p.m. on the 3rd.
The police investigation revealed that B was confined in a bag for about 7 hours from around noon that day, being moved from one bag to another. A forced B into a travel suitcase approximately 50 cm wide and 70 cm long, then later confined him in a bag measuring about 44 cm wide and 60 cm long.
The police changed A's charge from child abuse causing serious injury to 'child abuse causing death.' To determine the exact cause of B's death, an autopsy was requested at the National Forensic Service on the 5th and is currently underway. The results are expected within 10 days.
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