Suwon City Rolls Up Sleeves to Eradicate Child Abuse and Protect Children

The city of Suwon in Gyeonggi Province is actively promoting the eradication of child abuse as the new school term begins and reports of child abuse increase.

On the 3rd, Suwon City announced that it has posted banners containing phrases such as "Child Abuse NO, Child Protection YES" and "Child Abuse is a Crime," along with the child abuse reporting hotline number (112), at 20 locations within the city with high foot traffic.

In addition, Suwon City is continuously carrying out education and campaigns to promote children's rights and prevent child abuse in cooperation with related organizations such as the Suwon Academy Association, Child Protection Agencies, and the Child Abuse Prevention Association.

Earlier, in May 2022, Suwon City opened the "Child Abuse Joint Response Center (With Us)," the first of its kind in Gyeonggi Province. Six organizations, including Suwon City, Suwon Office of Education, Suwon Southern, Central, and Western Police Stations, and Suwon Child Protection Agency, participate to establish an "on-site joint response network." This center serves as a hub for rapid joint response by related agencies when child abuse cases occur.

Suwon City will carry out various activities such as campaigns to eradicate child abuse and protect children. Photo by Suwon City

Since July 2023, the city has been operating the "Child Abuse Investigation Duplicate Testimony Minimization System" to prevent secondary harm to abused children caused by repeated testimonies. This system prevents abused children from having to repeatedly testify to multiple investigative agencies, thereby reducing their suffering.

Suwon City’s efforts to prevent child abuse have been recognized, receiving the Excellence Award in the "National Child Abuse Response System" in 2022 and being selected as an outstanding institution in the "Gyeonggi Province Child Abuse Public Response System Operation Evaluation" in 2024.

This year, Suwon City is participating in a pilot project for "Child Abuse Prevention and Early Support" led by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. After assessing child abuse cases, 20 families requiring support will be selected to receive family function restoration and parenting coaching. Additionally, through the Hometown Love Donation Public Project, the city plans to implement a "Our Family Healing Trip" (5 families, 20 people) to restore family functions for families of abused children.

A Suwon City official stated, "We will concentrate all administrative efforts to ensure that children’s rights are respected and that they can grow up safely," adding, "We will create a child-friendly city where all children are happy."