'9-year-old stepdaughter abuse' Changnyeong stepfather appears for detention hearing: "I love my daughter very much"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Stepfather A (35), accused of repeatedly abusing his 9-year-old stepdaughter, appeared in court on the 15th for a pre-trial detention hearing.

Arriving at the Miryang branch of Changwon District Court around 10:25 a.m. for the hearing, A responded somewhat flatly to reporters' questions asking if he felt sorry for his daughter, saying, "I am truly sorry." When asked why he tormented his daughter, he said, "I have never thought of her as someone else's daughter, and I still love her very much." However, he denied allegations of abuse such as immersing his stepdaughter in a bathtub, stating, "I never put (my stepdaughter) in the bathtub like that."

When asked if he and the biological mother abused the child together, he said, "This is all my fault for not properly taking care of the family. I am sorry," before promptly entering the courtroom.

A began the pre-trial detention hearing at 11 a.m. that day. The decision on whether to detain him is expected as early as late afternoon. A is accused of abusing his elementary school-aged stepdaughter B (9) from 2017 until recently by chaining her with metal chains and restricting her to one meal a day.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The police arrested A on the 13th and conducted an approximately 9-hour and 30-minute investigation at Changnyeong Police Station. The police have secured evidence to prove the charges, including metal chains, a laundry drying rack, sticks believed to have been used for abuse, and a diary written by B. A denied most of the allegations during his first interrogation. After the arrest warrant was issued, he admitted to some charges during a second investigation but still denied the more severe abuse allegations.

The biological mother C (27), accused of participating in the abuse with the stepfather, is currently undergoing a detailed psychiatric evaluation at a hospital after complaining of mental distress during an emergency admission. The police initially planned to summon the couple for questioning on the 11th. However, on the 10th, after a court issued a temporary protection order for B’s three step-siblings, C caused a self-harm incident and was admitted for emergency treatment, delaying the investigation. After the detailed evaluation, the biological mother is expected to undergo about two weeks of administrative hospitalization before being questioned.

B escaped from home on the 29th of last month and was found by a resident running on a road in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam, wearing pajamas. Investigations revealed that B’s stepfather and biological mother subjected her to torture-like abuse, including chaining her neck with metal chains and burning the tops and soles of her feet with heated metal chopsticks. It was also revealed that the biological mother C continued to actively participate in online parenting communities even after her daughter escaped from home.

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