An aunt (left) and uncle who abused their ten-year-old nephew to death are being transferred to the prosecution at the Yongin Eastern Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 17th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Soyoung] The police have applied murder charges against an aunt and uncle who assaulted their 10-year-old niece and ultimately caused her death through forced immersion in bathtub water, a form of 'water torture.'
The Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency and Yongin Eastern Police Station announced on the 17th that they would send the aunt and uncle of the deceased 10-year-old girl A to the prosecution on charges of murder and physical abuse under the Child Welfare Act.
On the same day, the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency held a personal information disclosure review committee meeting on the afternoon of the 16th, consisting of seven members including three internal police officers, a lawyer, a psychology professor, and four external personnel. The committee decided not to disclose the identities of the aunt and uncle.
The review committee explained the reason for the non-disclosure decision, stating, "While we acknowledge the brutality of the crime and the seriousness of the case, disclosing the identities of the aunt and uncle could expose the identities of their biological children and the deceased A's older brother, causing secondary harm to the relatives."
According to the current Special Act on the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes (Special Violent Crimes Act), the identities of criminals can be disclosed in cases of murder and other specific violent crimes if the crime method is cruel and causes serious damage. However, the police made this decision after considering external opinions expressing concerns about secondary harm.
The deceased girl A's aunt and uncle are suspected of abusing her on the morning of the 8th in the bathroom of an apartment in Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. They allegedly beat her severely with a plastic fly swatter and other objects because she did not obey and could not control her urination. They also tied her hands and feet with string and forcibly submerged her head in a bathtub filled with water, causing her death.
At around 12:35 p.m. that day, they called 119, reporting that "the child had fallen into the bathtub and was not breathing." A was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the arriving 119 paramedics and was transported to the hospital but ultimately died. During this process, the hospital staff noticed bruises on A's body and reported suspected child abuse to the police.
According to the police, the aunt and uncle had assaulted A about 20 times and subjected her to water-based abuse twice since the end of December last year.
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