Immediate Separation of Guardians and Children at Risk of Child Abuse... Heo Jong-sik Leads the 'Ramyeon Brothers Act' Proposal

Rep. Heo: "Need to Increase Staff for Case Management of Victimized Children"

Democratic Party of Korea Congressman Heo Jong-sik

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Democratic Party lawmaker Heo Jong-sik (Incheon Dong-gu Michuhol-gap) announced on the 27th that he has taken the lead in proposing a partial amendment to the Child Welfare Act that allows local government heads to immediately separate children from their guardians if abuse by the guardian is suspected and there is a risk of re-abuse.

The proposal was prompted by an incident on the 14th in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, where brothers A (10) and B (8) suffered serious injuries in a fire. It is presumed that the fire started while they were trying to cook ramen in their mother’s absence, and the case became known as the "Ramen Brothers Fire Incident."

The brothers’ mother, C (30), had been reported to the police three times in 2018 and last year for frequently neglecting the older brother, A. C was previously booked without detention on charges of physical abuse and neglect under the Child Welfare Act for hitting A and neglecting B, and was sent to the prosecution last month. The court had ordered her to continue counseling as part of a child protection case disposition.

Before the fire occurred, the Child Protection Agency had requested a child protection order to separate the children from their guardian and place them in a child protection facility. However, the court decided that instead of separation, the brothers should receive counseling and treatment at the Child Protection Agency for one year.

The amendment proposed by Rep. Heo includes provisions to prevent similar incidents by allowing local government heads to immediately separate children from their guardians if abuse is suspected and there is a risk of re-abuse, until the Child Welfare Deliberation Committee makes a decision on protective measures.

The Child Welfare Deliberation Committee functions to review matters related to protective measures when a local government head discovers a child in need of protection within their jurisdiction.

Rep. Heo stated, "While child abuse investigations have prioritized 'family-first protection' and 'respecting the child’s wishes' when urgency is not recognized, frequent cases of re-abuse reveal limitations in child protection. This amendment establishes a legal basis to immediately separate the child and the perpetrator before the committee’s decision on protective measures is made."

On the 14th, a fire broke out in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, seriously injuring elementary school siblings. 2020.9.14 [Photo by Michuhol Fire Station, Incheon]

Meanwhile, according to data received by Rep. Heo from the Child Rights Guarantee Institute, in June, the Office of Education, schools, local police agencies, local governments, and Child Protection Agencies conducted joint inspections of children at risk of abuse following presidential directives that "the crisis child management system is not functioning properly due to the lack of in-person schooling, and supplementary measures must be devised." The family involved in the Michuhol-gu fire incident was also included in this inspection.

The joint inspection results show that on June 25, Child Protection Agency counselors and Abuse Prevention Officers (APO) visited the family, counseling the mother and the brothers. The mother was continuously instructed to provide regular meals for the children, refrain from going out, improve the home environment, and maintain strict hygiene.

Rep. Heo emphasized, "Case management for abused children requires expertise due to the nature of the work, but the caseload per person for Child Protection Agency and Dream Start officials is 64 and 75.7 cases respectively, indicating an excessive workload and the need for additional personnel. Since child abuse and care are directly linked to the low birthrate issue, support measures should be prepared not only for abused children but also for perpetrators, including management and job provision."

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