[Summary] "If You're Leaving, Burn Your Finger" Brutal Stepfather Scorches 9-Year-Old Girl's Hand with Frying Pan

Bruises All Over the Body... Severe Burns on Hands
Found Wandering Near Neighborhood by Resident

Girl victim of child abuse in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam. Photo by Channel A 'News A' capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] In Changnyeong, Gyeongnam, where it has been revealed that an elementary school girl was abused by her parents for several years, public outrage has erupted as the stepfather brutally abused the child by burning her fingerprints with a heated frying pan. The stepfather stated that he committed the crime because the child, who tried to leave the house, could return due to fingerprint checks.

The Changnyeong Police Station on the 8th booked the stepfather B (35) and biological mother C (27) without detention on charges of habitual child abuse against their 4th-grade daughter A (9).

The couple's abuse came to light when a resident found A with bruises around both eyes at a convenience store in Daehap-myeon, Changnyeong-gun, at around 6:20 p.m. on the 29th of last month and reported it to the police.

At the time of discovery, A had bruises on her body and severe wounds such as burns on her hands. It was reported that A was wandering nearby wearing large slippers that adults would wear when she was found by a resident.

Stepfather B partially admitted to the abuse in an interview with SBS on the 9th. Regarding burning A's hand with a frying pan, he said, "(A) said she was going out. The frying pan was heated, so I said, 'If you're going out, burn your fingers. You have fingerprints,' " partially admitting the charges. He meant that even if she left the house, she could be traced and brought back through fingerprint checks, so he told her to erase them before leaving.

B also claimed that he was disciplining the child on behalf of his wife. He said, "(My wife) has been taking medication for 3 to 4 years. She cries and says if she can't do it, I have to punish the child physically. (Otherwise) she gets so agitated that she might kill the child." A's biological mother is reported to have schizophrenia.

He added, "If I thought she wasn't my daughter, I wouldn't care if she didn't study or anything. I was poorly educated, and my wife was uneducated, so I thought it was obvious what would happen if the child was also uneducated. I am reflecting a lot."

Girl victim of child abuse in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam. Photo by Channel A 'News A' capture

During the time A was being abused, the school and neighbors were completely unaware of the situation.

A lived in Geoje until last year and moved to Changnyeong with her family in January this year. Neighbors said they had never seen A going out, so they were unaware of the abuse.

The school also did not know about the abuse due to the impact of COVID-19, which prevented face-to-face classes.

Additionally, the homeroom teacher visited A's home three times to deliver learning packages, but each time A's biological mother said, "There is a baby just 100 days old at home, so we are worried about COVID-19 infection," and the teacher was unable to meet A and left.

Experts have suggested changes in the attitudes of child protection agencies and the police. Gong Hyejeong, head of the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association, said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 8th, "Child abuse cases are increasing daily, and the nature of the abuse is becoming extremely cruel. There are too many truly cruel and horrific cases that cannot be expressed in words."

She pointed out that A had been reported twice before for child abuse but that proper follow-up measures were not taken.

She said, "Just because a child abuse report is filed, the family and child are not automatically separated. There is a 'family preservation system' for abused children. This system requires the abuser to protect the abused child. In this case (Changnyeong child abuse), there were signs of habitual abuse and a very high risk of abuse due to the family environment. In such cases, the child should be separated and long-term counseling should be conducted to uncover the truth," she criticized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.