Stepfather in Changnyeong Arrested for Abusing 9-Year-Old Stepdaughter... "Risk of Evidence Tampering and Escape"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Stepfather A (35), accused of repeatedly abusing his 9-year-old stepdaughter, was finally arrested.

On the 15th, Shin Sung-hoon, the judge in charge of warrants at Changwon District Court Milyang Branch, held a pre-arrest hearing (warrant review) for A, who is charged with violating the Child Welfare Act, and issued an arrest warrant that day, citing "concerns of evidence tampering and flight risk."

The police applied charges of violating the Child Welfare Act and special injury against A and requested an arrest warrant the day before.

A is accused of abusing his elementary school-aged stepdaughter B (9) by tying her body with chains or allowing her only one meal a day from 2017 until recently.

On the 13th, the police arrested A and conducted an investigation for about 9 hours and 30 minutes at Changnyeong Police Station. The police have secured evidence to prove the charges, including chains, a laundry drying rack, sticks suspected to have been used for abuse, and a diary written by B. A denied most of the charges during the first interrogation. After the arrest warrant was issued, he admitted to some of the charges in the second investigation but is still denying the severe abuse allegations.

Before the warrant review on the day, A arrived at the court around 10:25 a.m. When asked by reporters if he felt sorry for his daughter, he replied in a somewhat indifferent voice, "I am really 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 putting his stepdaughter in a bathtub, saying, "I never put (my stepdaughter) in the bathtub or anything like that."

When reporters asked if he and the biological mother abused the child together, he said, "All of this is my fault for not properly taking care of the family. I am sorry," and then immediately entered the courtroom.

The biological mother C (27), who is accused of participating in the abuse with the stepfather, is currently undergoing a detailed examination at a hospital after complaining of mental distress during an emergency hospitalization. The police originally 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, she caused a self-harm incident and was hospitalized for emergency treatment, delaying the investigation. After the detailed examination, 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 abused her in ways tantamount to torture, such as tying chains around her neck and burning the tops and soles of her feet with heated metal chopsticks. It was also revealed that 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.