"Cried and Was Beaten"... Another Case of Adopted Child Abuse Sparks Public Outrage (Comprehensive)

7 Months After the 'Jeongin Incident'... Repeated Child Abuse
"I Hit a Few Times Because She Cried" Admits Abuse Charges
"She Left in Such Pain...", "Nothing Has Changed" Citizens Outraged

Reference photo. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Seven months after the tragic death of 16-month-old adopted child Jeong In due to abuse by adoptive parents last October, another similar case of abuse against an adopted child has occurred, sparking public outrage. There are calls for thorough verification of adoption procedures and measures to prevent repeated child abuse.

The Women and Youth Investigation Unit of the Southern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency announced on the 9th that they had urgently arrested a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, on charges of serious injury under the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes. According to the police, a 2-year-old girl, Ms. B, adopted by Mr. A and his wife, was brought to a hospital near their home in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, unconscious around 6 p.m. on the 8th.

The hospital judged Ms. B's condition to be critical and transferred her to a large hospital in Incheon. Upon examination, medical staff found brain hemorrhaging and bruises on various parts of her body, including her face, and suspected abuse, reporting the case to the police. The police subsequently determined that Ms. B was in an unconscious state due to abuse and urgently arrested Mr. A.

During the police investigation, Mr. A reportedly admitted to the abuse, stating, "She kept whining, so I hit her a few times with my hand. Later, she fell asleep, but after a few hours, she did not wake up even when I tried, so I took her to the hospital."

It was investigated that Mr. A and his wife adopted Ms. B through an adoption agency in August last year. However, no reports of abuse against Ms. B had been filed from the time of adoption until now.

Ms. B underwent brain surgery and is currently recovering but has not yet regained consciousness. The police are investigating the possibility that Mr. A may have abused Ms. B previously.

On January 11, two days before the first trial of the Jeong-in case, who died from abuse by adoptive parents after 16 months, a representative from the Child Abuse Prevention Association urged for the application of murder charges in front of the Seoul Yangcheon District Prosecutors' Office. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Upon learning of this, citizens expressed anger. This is because abuse in adoptive families has recurred just seven months after the nationally enraging 'Jeong In case.'

One netizen said, "Even though Jeong In left us in such pain, nothing seems to have changed," and argued, "Mandatory education for parents and thorough investigations of adoptive families are necessary to eradicate child abuse." Another netizen added, "They say they will prevent such incidents from happening again, but as time passes, it is forgotten as if nothing happened," emphasizing, "The government and the National Assembly should not just propose related laws after the Jeong In case but should work to ensure the laws are effectively implemented."

Previously, Jeong In, who was brought to the hospital due to abuse by adoptive parents, died on October 13 last year while receiving treatment at a hospital in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. At that time, Jeong In had bruises all over her body and severe injuries to her head and abdomen.

Based on the opinions of forensic experts and autopsy doctors, the prosecution recently concluded that Jeong In's adoptive mother, Ms. Jang, inflicted fatal injuries by forcefully stepping on Jeong In's abdomen, which was already damaged, on the day of her death. At the sentencing hearing held on the 14th of last month, the prosecution requested the death penalty for Ms. Jang and 7 years and 6 months imprisonment for the adoptive father, Mr. Ahn.

Child Abuse. / Photo by Yonhap News

As child abuse in adoptive families recurs, voices are growing louder calling for procedural improvements such as verification of adoptive parents and post-adoption management.

According to the "2019 Family Types of Child Abuse Victims" report released by the Child Rights Protection Agency, adoptive parents account for 0.3% of child abuse perpetrators, which is not high compared to biological parents (57.7%). However, it has been pointed out that if post-adoption management and abuse prevention systems had functioned properly, such child abuse crimes could have been prevented in advance.

Civic groups have urged the need for measures such as post-adoption management in relation to abuse cases involving adopted children.

Eleven civic organizations, including the Korea Single Mothers Support Network, held a press conference in December last year regarding the Jeong In case, stating, "This incident could have been prevented if the core eligibility screening of adoptive parents and post-adoption management had been properly conducted during the adoption process," and emphasized, "The government should not leave adoption procedures to the private sector but strengthen public intervention to directly supervise child protection, adoption matching, and post-adoption management, thereby preventing blind spots in child protection."