"A man dunked an elementary school student's head underwater in a swimming pool saying, 'Water splashed on my child'"

Elementary Student Abuse Incident at Hangang Park Swimming Pool on the 3rd
Head Submerged Multiple Times for Splashing Water
"Unable to Control Anger"... Apology Letter Seen as 'Self-Defensive'

Recently, a controversy arose when a man repeatedly submerged an elementary school student's head underwater at a swimming area in Seoul's Hangang Park. The man in his 30s, identified as the perpetrator, was apprehended by the police 23 days later. On the 27th, Channel A reported, "The police arrested Mr. A, a man in his 30s suspected of child abuse, on the 26th and sent him to the prosecution without detention." Mr. A is accused of repeatedly submerging the head of B, a 7-year-old second grader, underwater at the Hangang Park swimming area in Mapo-gu around 11:50 a.m. on the 3rd.

[Image source=Channel A news screen capture]

Footage captured by the on-site closed-circuit television (CCTV) shows Mr. A, dressed in dark clothing, approaching B and grabbing his head before pushing it underwater multiple times. According to B's side, when B splashed water at the group of men, the enraged man grabbed B's head and submerged it underwater repeatedly. Despite resistance from B's middle school-aged sister nearby, the man did not stop his actions.

After learning of the incident, B's father immediately reported it to the police, but Mr. A had already disappeared. B, who has a developmental disability, was so shocked that he could not stop crying even after the police arrived. B's father expressed his outrage, saying, "This was not a prank. The child could have died if things went wrong." He also criticized the police response, stating, "The police who arrived after 20 minutes told me to 'handle it myself' and said I should find the perpetrator and get an apology."

However, the police succeeded in identifying Mr. A after securing records of about 2,000 vehicles entering and leaving Hangang Park on the day of the incident and analyzing photos taken by other park users. They confirmed scenes showing the water play equipment used by Mr. A. Additionally, by compiling descriptions of Mr. A’s appearance provided by B's sister, the police traced Mr. A’s movements and identified him.

During the police investigation, Mr. A reportedly stated, "I lost control because water splashed strongly on my child." He also wrote an apology letter to B's family. However, B's father told Channel A, "There was too much self-defensive content," and added, "Punishment does not heal the emotional wounds, but I hope we receive an apology."