Preventing Recurrence of Abuse in Adopted Children... "Unified Reporting System and Institutionalization of Pre-Foster Care"

Government Prepares 'Measures to Strengthen Child Abuse Response System'

Expansion of Field Response Personnel and Enhanced Training.
Improvement of Procedures Including Unified Reporting and Joint Police-Dedicated Official Dispatch

Foundation for Immediate Separation System to be Implemented in March
Institutional Preparation for 'Pre-Entrustment System' Mentioned by Moon

On the 13th, the day of the first trial for the adoptive parents accused of abusing and causing the death of 16-month-old adopted daughter Jeong-in, citizens protested in front of the Seoul Yangcheon District Southern District Court, demanding the application of murder charges. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] A comprehensive improvement of adoption procedures and post-management, which was brought to light by the death of a 16-month-old child due to abuse ('Jung-in case'), will be implemented. The government plans to prevent recurrence of such incidents through enhanced education and system reforms. In particular, the problematic unification of report reception and investigation procedures will be improved, and the pre-foster care system, which President Moon Jae-in expressed his commitment to, will be institutionalized.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 19th that at the '1st Social Relations Ministers' Meeting,' it discussed the 'Child Abuse Response System Strengthening Plan' containing these measures together with related ministries.

This plan was prepared to address various issues pointed out during the response process to the death of the 16-month-old child in October last year. Prior to the death of Jung-in in October last year, three suspected child abuse reports were received in May, June, and September, but investigations were not properly conducted. As the full story of the case later emerged, it was analyzed that despite the involvement of the police and child protection agencies, the response system on the ground did not function properly due to a lack of expertise and collaborative efforts among response personnel, and detailed responses from the perspective of the victim child were not made, resulting in this tragedy.

The government focused on improving the issues pointed out during the response process of this case, analyzed obstacles at each stage of field response, and prepared a plan to strengthen the child abuse response system. Through this, the initial response capability after report reception will be enhanced, and investigation enforcement will be secured. In addition, preparations will be made to smoothly implement the immediate separation system starting in March, along with strengthening public responsibility in the adoption system and establishing systems to support the stable settlement of adoptive families.

Children's rights organizations such as Taktin Tomorrow and the Korea Single Mothers Support Network held a press conference in front of the main gate of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 11th, urging the government to take measures regarding the death of an adopted child due to abuse, known as the "Jung In case." / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

First, to strengthen the expertise of initial responses, the roles of field response personnel will be clarified and education will be enhanced. Job training for new child abuse dedicated public officials will be doubled from the existing total of 80 hours to 160 hours, focusing on essential tasks such as field experience-based practical training and legal education to solidify the training. For existing dedicated personnel, 40 hours of refresher training will be newly established annually to support capacity building. Additionally, dedicated public officials will be designated as professional positions or hired as professional career officers to support expertise accumulation rather than rotational assignments.

The police will also strengthen education for field personnel. Abuse Prevention Officers (APOs) will be supported to obtain related degrees to enhance expertise, and incentives such as promotion and rank advancement will be expanded.

Guidelines clarifying the roles and responsibilities of each party, including dedicated public officials, police, and child protection agencies, will be prepared. To prevent confusion during reporting, the unified report reception system through 112 will be firmly established, and child abuse-related consultations other than reports will be handled by a newly established specialized child abuse counseling team linked with the Health and Welfare Counseling Center (129).

During dispatch following a report, joint dispatch by police and dedicated public officials will be the principle. However, if joint dispatch does not occur, detailed sharing of investigation information between police and local governments will be ensured according to the amendment of the 'Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes,' scheduled to be enforced this month.

At the stage of determining abuse, integrated case meetings at city, county, and district levels will be held with participation from local governments, police, child protection agencies, experts such as doctors and lawyers, and schools to discuss abuse determination and action directions, thereby enhancing inter-agency collaboration and expertise in judgment. Furthermore, advisory systems including dedicated medical and legal advisors will be established for each local government to continuously seek expert opinions during investigation and judgment processes. The government will strive to increase objectivity in abuse determination and ensure seamless response through collaboration among related agencies, including selecting cases requiring joint inspections by police, local governments, and child protection agencies.

Additionally, according to the amendment of the Child Abuse Punishment Act, the scope of access during on-site investigations of child abuse will be expanded beyond the reported site to other locations necessary for protecting the victim child, and fines for refusal to cooperate with investigations will be doubled from the existing 5 million won to 10 million won.

Two days before the first trial of the Jeong-in case, in which the adopted child died after 16 months of abuse by adoptive parents, a condolence wreath was placed in front of the fence of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in Yangcheon-gu on the 11th. It was sent by members of the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association, urging the application of murder charges against the adoptive mother and commemorating Jeong-in. From 8 a.m. on that day until 1 p.m. on the 15th, 70 condolence wreaths and 50 pinwheels will be installed along the fence of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Regarding criticisms that response personnel hesitate to take proactive on-site measures such as immediate separation due to concerns about legal disputes, improvement measures have also been prepared. Legal grounds are being considered to exempt response personnel from civil and criminal liability if such measures are taken based on reasonable judgment and work guidelines, while training on handling malicious complainants and psychological counseling support will be provided.

In response to demands from the field, a large-scale expansion of response personnel will be carried out. The government will promptly deploy 664 child abuse dedicated public officials across 229 cities, counties, and districts nationwide and will reinforce additional personnel based on demand surveys. Furthermore, local government child protection officers who check the caregiving status of separated children will be increased stepwise to 190 this year and 191 next year.

The police will also establish 'Women and Youth Investigation Units,' including special investigation teams for child abuse, in provincial police agencies and expand the installation of Women and Youth Violent Crime Units in frontline police stations.

Moreover, to improve working conditions, considering the circumstances of child abuse dedicated public officials who must respond to night dispatches, the overtime work limit will be increased to 70 hours, and the establishment of specific task expenses to support these officials will be reviewed. Special grants will also be provided to secure dedicated vehicles.

On the afternoon of the 8th, at the plenary session held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, the partial amendment bill to the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, commonly known as the "Jeong In Act," was passed.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Various foundations will be expanded to ensure the stable implementation of the immediate separation system for children who have received two or more suspected abuse reports within one year, starting March 30. Fifteen new shelters for abused children are scheduled to be established this year, with an additional 14 to be expanded within the year. A new crisis child family protection project will be introduced to allow infants aged 0-2 to be cared for in foster families with specialized training, and efforts will be made to secure about 200 foster families. At least one temporary protection facility per city and province will also be secured.

Psychological treatment centers within child protection agencies will operate to provide psychological and emotional therapy for separated victim children. This year, three psychological treatment specialists will be assigned to each of the 17 cities and provinces. Psychological testing and treatment will also be provided to facilities and foster families.

Measures to prevent recurrence will also be extensively prepared. The list of mandatory reporters of child abuse, currently including child welfare dedicated public officials, 119 paramedics, emergency medical technicians, school staff, daycare and kindergarten workers, and doctors, will be expanded to include foster parents, nursing assistants, pharmacists, and others to strengthen early detection of at-risk children. Networks with pharmacies, convenience stores, and others who frequently contact children will also be strengthened to expand the reporting network.

President Moon Jae-in is answering a reporter's question at the New Year's press conference held at the Blue House Chunuchu-gwan on the 18th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Improvements to the overall adoption procedures will also be pursued. On the 18th, President Moon Jae-in mentioned at the New Year's press conference that "there is a need for measures such as allowing adoption cancellation within a certain period or changing the adopted child if the adoptive parents still strongly wish to adopt but do not match well with the child," referring to the introduction of a 'pre-foster care system,' which is now under discussion.

The government plans to institutionalize pre-foster care before adoption to systematically monitor mutual adaptation between the child and prospective adoptive parents, and to reform the current adoption system centered on private adoption agencies by strengthening the responsibilities of the state and local governments, preparing amendments to the Adoption Special Act.

In addition, adoption practical guidelines will be revised within this month to strengthen public management and supervision of adoption agencies. A matching committee including external members will be organized and operated within adoption agencies, and results will be reported quarterly to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Joint inspections of adoption agencies will be increased to at least twice a year and conducted as needed.

Support for the stable settlement of adoptive families will also be included in the practical guidelines. Education for prospective adoptive parents will be strengthened, and customized in-depth education based on the characteristics and needs of adopted children and adoptive families will be provided.

Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol expressed, "I deeply mourn the victim child who suffered abuse and tragically passed away," and apologized, saying, "As the ministry responsible for adoption policy and child abuse prevention and response, we regret that we could not protect the precious life of the child and caused concern to the public."

Minister Kwon emphasized regarding this plan, "We focused on securing the expertise and collaboration of field personnel, expanding protective infrastructure for the smooth implementation of the immediate separation system," and added, "We will regularly check to ensure faithful implementation on the ground and continuously improve the response system by collecting expert opinions." He also sincerely hoped that "many adoptive families who raise children with love will not be hurt and that there will be no prejudice or misunderstanding about adoption among the public" in relation to this case.