16-Month-Old Adopted Child Dies at Hospital Under 'Suspected Abuse'... There Were 3 More Reports

Three Suspected Abuse Reports in May, June, and September
Police and Child Protection Agencies Find No Evidence of Abuse

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] It was later confirmed that a 16-month-old infant who was brought to the hospital in a suspected state of abuse had three prior reports of suspected child abuse before passing away. The police promised a thorough reinvestigation, stating that there was no evidence at the time of the reports to definitively conclude abuse.

The Yangcheon Police Station in Seoul announced on the 16th that they have launched an investigation into the cause of death of girl A, who died at a hospital in Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu on the 13th.

According to the police, when girl A was brought to the hospital, she had severe injuries to her abdomen and brain. Hospital staff, noticing numerous bruises and wounds on her body, suspected child abuse and reported it to the police.

However, it was confirmed that after girl A was adopted by a couple in their 30s in January of this year, there had already been three reports of child abuse.

The first report was in May. An employee at the daycare center girl A attended noticed bruises on her body and filed a report. A month later, another report was made to the police claiming the child was left alone in a car. Last month, the pediatrician girl A visited reported her nutritional status to the police.

The problem was that each time, the police and child protection agencies failed to find evidence of abuse and returned girl A to her parents. A police official explained, "We investigated with the involved parties, nearby witnesses, and experts to confirm whether abuse had occurred," adding, "At that time, there was no evidence to definitively conclude abuse."

Following criticism that the police missed the opportunity to prevent a death caused by child abuse, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "We will form an inspection team to verify whether the previous three reports were handled according to regulations, and the Yangcheon Police Station will conduct a thorough reinvestigation of this death case and the previous reports."

The police plan to summon girl A’s parents for questioning and have requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service to investigate the exact cause of death.