Beaten with a back scratcher and hanger, pushed into the wall
Kept from daycare to hide bruises
The biological mother and stepfather who repeatedly abused and caused the death of their 16-month-old daughter in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, have been indicted and detained.
The Criminal Division 3 of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office announced on December 22 that it had indicted and detained the biological mother, identified as A (25), and the stepfather, identified as B (33), on charges including child abuse resulting in death. They are accused of repeatedly beating and abusing the victim, referred to as C, at their residence in Pocheon between September and November of this year, ultimately causing her death.
A gave birth to C in June of last year with her ex-husband. Since November, she had been living with B in a common-law relationship. A is currently eight months pregnant and is expected to give birth in January next year.
On November 23 at approximately 6:50 p.m., A called emergency services, reporting, "The child is choking on food and cannot breathe." C was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest but died. The hospital staff discovered multiple bruises and scratch marks on C's body and reported the case to the police.
During the initial investigation, A and B falsely claimed, "She got hurt while playing with the family dog." However, it was revealed that they had repeatedly beaten C with items such as a back scratcher, a plastic hanger, and toys, and had pushed her head, causing it to hit the wall or a marble floor.
An examination of C's body revealed widespread subcutaneous hemorrhaging, fractured ribs, subdural hemorrhage in the brain, and internal liver rupture. A and B blamed each other for the abuse. A stated, "Because she was not his biological child, B hit C's head and body with a back scratcher and pushed her, causing her to fall." B claimed, "A hit C on the buttocks and soles of her feet, saying it was for discipline."
It was also found that they exchanged messages such as "I'll punish her harshly" and "I'll fix her behavior," and searched for "bruise cream" after abusing the child. They also kept C from attending daycare in an attempt to hide her injuries.
The prosecution analyzed CCTV footage from their residence and additionally confirmed that they did not take the bruised child to the hospital and left her alone at home while going out about 20 times. As a result, charges of habitual child abandonment and neglect were added.
A prosecution official stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure that a sentence commensurate with their crimes is handed down."
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