[Summary] Changnyeong 9-Year-Old Abused Child Barefoot Escapes Life-Threatening Situation from 4th Floor... Parents Apply for Childcare Allowance

Chained and Confined on the Veranda
Inquiry About Receiving 10 Million Won Childbirth Support Fund

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

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] A (9) girl in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam, who had been continuously abused, including having her hand burned with a frying pan, was found to have lived on the veranda with a metal chain tied around her neck and risked her life to escape to the 4th-floor balcony. The stepfather and biological mother who cruelly abused the child were revealed to have collected childcare support allowances even after the victim risked her life to escape barefoot, sparking national outrage.

According to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on the 11th, A, who had been severely abused by her stepfather (35) and biological mother (27), testified that on the day of the police report, the 29th of last month, she was trapped on the terrace of the 4th-floor villa where she lived and escaped by climbing over the terrace railing to the neighboring house.

Earlier, A gave a first statement to the police on the 2nd and a second statement on the 10th. In the first investigation, A testified that she had been subjected to all kinds of abuse by the two for several years.

According to the police, A had been confined on the terrace with a metal chain tied around her neck starting two days before her escape from home. The stepfather and biological mother tied a metal chain around A’s neck and locked her to the veranda railing, neglecting her, because she resisted by saying she wanted to leave the house.

It was investigated that the chain was only loosened to allow her to move when eating or going to the bathroom.

On the afternoon of the 29th of last month, while the biological mother briefly loosened the neck chain, A risked falling and climbed from her 4th-floor home to the neighboring terrace.

There was no one in the neighboring house, and A escaped through the neighbor’s front door. At the time of escape, A was in pajamas and barefoot, and was found by a neighbor on the roadside outside the house, who reported it to the police.

In the police investigation, A stated, "The stepfather burned my fingers with a frying pan and caused burns, and beat me with a metal rod and a laundry drying rack."

Also, A testified, "The biological mother shot a glue gun at my instep, causing burns."

In particular, the parents were known to have burned A’s soles with heated metal chopsticks and subjected her to cruel abuse such as forcing her head into the bathtub.

When confining her on the terrace, they wrapped a metal chain around A’s neck and locked it with a padlock so it could not be removed, and it was investigated that she was given only one meal a day.

The police stated, "We received medical opinions on A’s physical condition, and multiple old fractures were confirmed on her body, and she was found to be suffering from severe anemia." They added, "There were wounds on her head, back, and neck, bruises around her eyes, and burn wounds and swelling on her hands and feet."

The police added, "We received a doctor’s opinion confirming that A’s physical injuries were due to habitual abuse."

Moreover, it was confirmed that they applied for home care allowance from the county on the 10th, while A was hospitalized after escaping from home.

According to Changnyeong County, the stepfather and biological mother of A, the abused child, have been raising a total of four children, including three step-siblings of A, and have been receiving 900,000 won monthly in various allowances such as childcare support.

They were also reported to have inquired about when they could receive the childbirth support fund of 10 million won provided by the county for raising three or more children.

Meanwhile, on the 8th, the Changnyeong Police Station booked the stepfather B and biological mother C without detention on charges of habitual child abuse against their daughter A.

Currently, the stepfather and biological mother are hospitalized after causing a self-harm incident when a temporary protection order from the court was issued for A’s three step-siblings.

The police plan to continue related investigations through summons or compulsory investigation once their condition stabilizes.

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