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Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Seoul Police Chief Jang Ha-yeon Sign MOU on the 12th
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] In response to a series of child abuse cases, including the death of a 16-month-old infant due to abuse by adoptive parents known as the 'Jeong-in Incident,' the Seoul Metropolitan Government is partnering with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to establish a ‘Public Safety Protection System’ aimed at preventing child abuse and protecting affected children, and will jointly respond to such cases. The city and the police agency will collaborate throughout the entire process from early detection to protection. When a child abuse report is received, police officers and dedicated local government officials will cooperate on-site investigations as needed, and jointly assess child abuse cases. Additionally, a joint comprehensive survey for early identification of at-risk children will be institutionalized once a year.
According to Seoul City on the 12th, the city will establish a 'Strengthened Measures for Child Abuse Response and Prevention' in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint response. The measures focus on joint action throughout the entire process, including ▲early detection of abused children ▲rapid and accurate judgment of abuse cases ▲protection of affected children. Mayor Oh Se-hoon is scheduled to hold a signing ceremony with Police Commissioner Jang Ha-yeon at the Seoul City Hall video conference room in the afternoon.
This plan was developed based on reflection and introspection that the 'Jeong-in Incident,' a child abuse death case in Yangcheon, Seoul last year, must never happen again. Since January this year, Seoul City and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency have formed a task force (TF) team of experienced field personnel to identify areas for improvement, and after discussions with a ‘Policy Council’ of private experts from medical, legal, and academic fields, the measures were finalized.
Seoul City and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will first make significant improvements to the entire child abuse field response system, prioritizing the protection of affected children. To address the biggest issue identified in the field?rapid medical support for abused children?eight dedicated child abuse medical institutions available 24/7, including nights, weekends, and emergencies, will operate throughout Seoul. Starting in July, ‘Child Abuse Assessment Meetings’ involving child abuse experts will be held in each district to evaluate abuse cases. To ensure prompt medical support for affected children during nights, weekends, and emergencies, eight major general hospitals, including Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital and Seoul National University Hospital, have been designated as dedicated medical institutions.
The infrastructure for child abuse prevention and response will also be greatly expanded. The existing Seoul City Child Welfare Centers will be upgraded to ‘Child Abuse Prevention Centers’ to serve as control towers for child abuse prevention and response. Meanwhile, dedicated personnel and protective facilities for child abuse work will be continuously expanded to establish a specialized response system.
The ‘Seoul City Child Abuse Prevention Center’ will function as an implementation body for child abuse prevention policies, serving as a control tower for education and work support for related agencies such as public officials, police, and child protection agencies, and will also operate as a hub psychological treatment center supporting psychological therapy for affected children. The reorganization is targeted for completion within the year. The police will also establish a dedicated child abuse response system by creating a special child abuse investigation team of 19 members directly under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, responsible for cases involving children under 13 years old. Additionally, 99-member Women and Youth Violence Teams will be established at each police station, and the number of dedicated child abuse police officers (APOs) will be increased to strengthen the specialized system.
A Seoul City official explained, "The number of dedicated child abuse officials in local districts has increased from 58 last year to 79 currently, and to actively respond to increased reports and nighttime/holiday cases, the workforce will be expanded to 191. We plan to improve working conditions by providing dedicated vehicles and realistic allowances to enable rapid 24-hour on-site response."
He added, "As the number of children requiring emergency measures has increased, the number of protective facilities has been expanded from six last year to eight with two additional facilities opened in March this year. By 2023, we plan to expand to 12 facilities to enable customized admissions considering gender and age."
To facilitate early detection of at-risk children, a comprehensive survey of children in welfare blind spots will be regularized. Continuous efforts will be made to improve systems and promote awareness both online and offline to activate child abuse reporting and build a more robust social safety net. In particular, all parents in early pregnancy, childbirth, and adoption stages (including prospective parents) will receive parental education to raise awareness of child abuse, and education for mandatory reporters such as childcare and education institution staff and child welfare center workers who closely interact with children will be strengthened.
Jang Ha-yeon, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said, “Child abuse is a critical challenge our society must overcome. The Seoul Police and Seoul City will prioritize children’s safety and work to create a Seoul free of child abuse through cooperation that breaks down institutional barriers.” Mayor Oh added, “Child abuse is no longer a matter of family discipline or parental character but a societal issue that must be resolved. In cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, we will establish a meticulous safety net that enables early detection of child abuse risks, investigation, protection of affected children, and prevention of recurrence, creating a Seoul where all children can smile.”
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