'Aunt and Uncle Who Performed "Water Torture" Filmed Abuse Video Smiling Until Child's Death'

Shaman aunt (left) and traditional Korean musician uncle (right), who abused a 10-year-old nephew by assaulting and waterboarding him, causing his death, are being transferred at the Dongbu Police Station in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on February 10th to undergo a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant review).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] It has been confirmed that an aunt and uncle who continuously abused and subjected their 10-year-old nephew to water torture, resulting in his death, filmed the abuse scenes up to three hours before the child died.

The aunt and uncle filmed the abuse scenes while commenting to the viewers, saying things like, "The child can't raise his hand due to simple muscle pain," or mocking their nephew by asking, "Why do you need a doctor's examination again today?"

In the video released by MBC, the nephew is shown kneeling with his pants pulled down, raising his right hand, with dark bruises around both eyes and on various parts of his arms. Aunt A asks in a cold voice, "Raise your hand. Is that as high as you can go today?" However, as revealed by the autopsy results, the child had difficulty raising his left hand due to fractured ribs.

Then, in a commentary tone, A says, "The child can't raise his hand because of simple muscle pain," and tells the child, "Raise it. Raise it. Why do you need a doctor's examination again today?"

According to the prosecution's investigation, after filming the video, the couple tied the child's hands and bound his legs with plastic, then repeatedly submerged and lifted the child's head in a bathtub filled with water, inflicting 'water torture' for about an hour. The child lost consciousness from the water torture and died that day.

The abuse did not stop there. The couple forced the child to stand with his hands raised in a dark living room until 3 a.m. with all his clothes removed, or made him do laundry naked on the bathroom floor. They also beat the child's entire body with a fly swatter.

They forced the child to eat dog feces, saying, "That's not ice cream. Chew it thoroughly," or sprayed water, tied his hands, pulled down his pants, and punished him by saying, "Be ashamed."

The couple filmed about 20 such abuse scenes themselves and then deleted the videos.

Previously, the couple was brought to trial on charges of murder and violation of the Child Welfare Act (child abuse). At the first hearing held on the 30th of last month at the Suwon District Court's 15th Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Jo Hyouok), they admitted to child abuse but denied the murder charges.

At that time, their lawyer stated, "Both defendants deny the murder charges as they had no intent (awareness of the criminal act and intention to commit it)," and added, "They acknowledge the facts regarding child abuse but will withhold their response concerning their conspiracy relationship for now."