20s Father Kicked and Knocked Down by 4-Year-Old Daughter... "Truly Shocking"

Daughter Who Soiled Herself Kicked and Thrown Around
"Brother Is Heavy" Appeal... Original Verdict Upheld
Court: "Not Normal Discipline... Truly Shocking"

A man in his 20s who kicked his four-year-old daughter after she had a toileting accident was sentenced to prison again in the appellate court.

On the 8th, the Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 1 (Chief Judge Shim Hyun-geun) dismissed the appeal filed by Mr. A (29), who was charged with child abuse and assault under the Child Welfare Act, and sentenced him to eight months in prison, the same as the original sentence. In addition, the appellate court upheld the original ruling ordering 40 hours of child abuse treatment, 40 hours of domestic violence treatment programs, and a three-year employment ban at child-related institutions.

Last November, at a convenience store in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Mr. A became angry because his daughter, Ms. B (4), had a toileting accident, rushed at her, and kicked her down. After helping Ms. B up, he kicked her again with both feet, causing her to tumble, inflicting physical abuse. CCTV footage from nearby showed that Ms. B raised her hands and curled up defensively even before Mr. A rushed at her. Furthermore, the indictment included charges of two additional assaults in January, where Mr. A verbally abused his wife who tried to talk to him in the living room of their home, grabbed her hair, pushed her, and punched her repeatedly.

The Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch, which handled the first trial, explained the reason for the prison sentence, stating, "This behavior cannot be seen as normal parental conduct or discipline and is truly shocking." They added, "Watching the CCTV footage raises concerns that the child might have been abused in the same manner regularly." Mr. A was detained on the spot. Although Mr. A appealed, claiming "the sentence is too harsh," the appellate court dismissed the appeal, stating, "Since the original sentence, no new mitigating circumstances or significant changes warranting a sentence modification have been found."

Meanwhile, a similar child abuse case occurred in September. Around noon on September 15, during the Chuseok holiday, a report was made to 119 that an 83-day-old baby boy, Mr. C, was not breathing at a house in Michuhol-gu, Incheon. At the time, Mr. C’s father explained, "I woke up and found the baby not breathing," but the police had already begun investigating after detecting signs of abuse in July, when Mr. C’s parents fractured the baby's skull. It was also reported that in November of last year, Mr. C’s older brother, Mr. D, was subjected to abuse where his knees were pulled and broken, and the case was sent to the prosecution.