[Reconstruction of the Incident] Stealing Hand with Frying Pan and Confining... Cruel Stepfather and Biological Mother’s Atrocities

"Tied with 'Soesaseul' and brutally abused
Escaped risking life from 4th floor the moment leash was loosened
Stepfather under police investigation..."Silent""

The stepfather involved in child abuse in Changnyeong is being moved to the annex interrogation room of the Changnyeong Police Station in Gyeongnam on the morning of the 13th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Amid public outrage over the 'inhumane' couple who assaulted and abused a 9-year-old girl for over three years, the stepfather (35) was taken into police custody today (13th). The stepfather, along with the biological mother (27), committed brutal abuse against A (9).

A moved from Geoje, Gyeongnam to Changnyeong in January this year with her stepfather, biological mother, and three stepsiblings. From that time, the abuse worsened. A lived alone in the attic, effectively confined even inside the house. Often, she was given only one meal a day.

The cruel biological mother inflicted burns on A’s insteps and soles using a glue gun and heated metal chopsticks. She was especially beaten with a metal rod, leaving bruises all over her body and calves, and was even locked in a bathtub filled with water, making it hard for her to breathe.

If A disobeyed the couple, they would chain her neck with a metal chain on the terrace and lock it with a padlock, preventing her from moving.

The appearance of a villa in Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongnam, where a 9-year-old elementary school student, who suffered severe abuse from a stepfather and biological mother, resides on the 11th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The horrific abuse by the stepfather and biological mother ended on the 29th of last month when A risked her life to escape barefoot by climbing over the balcony railing of the fourth-floor villa where she lived and crossing into the empty neighboring unit.

The perpetrators had chained A’s neck to the balcony railing two days before her escape, leaving her restrained because she resisted leaving the house.

The chain was only removed when she ate or went to the bathroom. At the time of her escape, only the biological mother and stepsiblings were home; the stepfather was not present.

Seizing a brief moment when the chain was loosened, A climbed over the balcony railing, crossed the exterior wall, and moved into the neighboring unit. It was truly a life-risking escape.

Dressed in pajamas and barefoot, A ran out of the villa and was spotted by a resident who reported her to the police.

A reportedly pleaded with the resident, saying, "I don’t want to go home. Please take me to my uncle and aunt."

The "uncle" A mentioned referred to the foster family where she had lived for two years starting in 2015.

A(9), an elementary school student in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam, who is reported to have been abused by her stepfather and biological mother, is seen talking with the first police reporter (left) at a convenience store in Changnyeong on the 29th of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Frying pan, chains, padlocks, and other revealed tools of abuse

After months of horrific abuse, A’s physical condition was dire. She had bruises around her eyes and severe blisters on her fingers. Multiple parts of her body were seriously injured or damaged. There were numerous fractures and scars, along with severe anemia symptoms.

Police, in cooperation with a child protection agency, hospitalized A and began an investigation on the 2nd. They completed the first interrogation of the stepfather on the 4th and secured several suspected abuse tools during a search on the 5th.

The seized items included about ten objects such as a frying pan, chains, padlocks, and plastic rods used as abuse tools.

The biological mother, who requested a delay in police questioning citing schizophrenia, had been receiving treatment at a neuropsychiatric clinic in Geoje for four years but had not taken medication for the past year.

On the 8th, the court issued a temporary protection order, separating A’s stepfather, biological mother, and three stepsiblings for protection.

A villa where 9-year-old elementary school student A, who was abused by her stepfather and biological mother, lived in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "You have fingerprints, so burn your finger on the frying pan." Horrific abuse

The stepfather and biological mother reacted by attempting self-harm or threatening to jump from the fourth floor of their residence.

Thanks to police intervention, their lives were not in serious danger. The police judged there might be further self-harm or suicide attempts and arranged for their emergency hospitalization.

Meanwhile, in a broadcast interview, the stepfather partially admitted to the abuse, saying, "(The child) said she would leave the house, so I told her, since you have fingerprints, burn your finger on the heated frying pan."

The implication was that since her fingerprints could be used to track her, he wanted her to remove them entirely.

A testified to a child protection agency that after living in a foster home for two years, she returned in 2017 and was frequently beaten.

Despite the prolonged abuse, the fact was not revealed because she covered her injuries with long clothes, so her homeroom teacher and neighbors were unaware.

Meanwhile, A was separated from the stepfather and biological mother and received hospital treatment, recovering her health and being discharged after two weeks.

According to the Gyeongnam Child Protection Agency on the 12th, the victim was discharged from a hospital in Gyeongnam on the afternoon of the 11th and moved to a child shelter.

Most bruises on her face and body have healed. However, the burns on her hands and feet left scars, and continuous treatment is planned at the shelter.

Having escaped the hellish home and received hospital treatment, she is reported to be psychologically much more stable. According to officials, she is adapting well, happily receiving new clothes and dolls provided by the agency.

An official said, "The child said, 'I ate so much that my belly sticks out,' showing visible improvement."

The agency plans to provide play therapy and other psychological treatments for the child.

Under the court’s temporary protection order, the child will be protected at the shelter. If a formal protection order is issued, she can stay at the agency until she reaches adulthood at 18, depending on the court’s decision.

The three stepsiblings are also separated from their parents and living in a facility due to concerns about psychological abuse.

Comments posted on the 12th on a post left by the biological mother accused of child abuse in Changnyeong on a local online parenting cafe in the Changnyeong area.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Following the brutal crime, revealed inhumane behavior… Biological mother applied for child-rearing allowance but favored only stepsiblings on parenting forums

Despite the brutal abuse, the biological mother applied for a 'child-rearing allowance' while A was hospitalized. According to Changnyeong County, A’s stepfather and biological mother applied for the allowance on the 10th.

They had been raising four children, including A’s three stepsiblings, and received about 900,000 won monthly in child-rearing allowances. Meanwhile, they applied for additional allowances, claiming the second and third stepsiblings were not attending daycare.

The home child-rearing allowance is a system that provides extra support to reduce the burden on parents caring for children at home. It is known that an additional 400,000 won per month can be received.

They also inquired about when they could receive the childbirth support fund of 10 million won provided by the county for families with three or more children.

Notably, the biological mother continued to actively participate in online parenting forums even after her daughter escaped from home, as confirmed on the 12th.

In the online space, it was revealed that she favored only A’s stepsiblings.

The biological mother joined the forum, which requires member approval, earlier this year and posted a 'greeting' on January 3rd, followed by about 60 posts.

She continued posting casually even after the brutal abuse led to A’s disappearance on the 29th of last month.

The most recent post was on the 1st, sharing photos and messages about exchanging children’s clothes.

Given this situation, some forum members raised suspicions about her mental illness after reading her past posts.

Comments posted on the 12th on a post left by the biological mother accused of child abuse in Changnyeong on an online parenting cafe in the Changnyeong area in the past.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Members commented on her past posts, saying, "She seems fine. Is it really schizophrenia?", "Is this a schizophrenia cosplay? Or pretending to be normal? I can’t tell."

Her posts and photos about bubble play and food made no mention whatsoever of the abused A.

These posts and photos drew heavy criticism from forum members. One member lamented, "There’s never been a post about the eldest (the abused child). It’s heartbreaking ㅠㅠ."

Meanwhile, the stepfather who committed the brutal abuse was taken into police custody on the 13th. The Changnyeong Police Station in Gyeongnam issued an arrest warrant for the stepfather and took him to the police annex around 10:55 a.m. that day.

Standing at the police photo line, the stepfather remained silent when reporters asked if he admitted the charges. The police plan to conduct a thorough investigation into the motive and circumstances of the crime. If the couple’s guilt is confirmed, the police will request an arrest warrant.