Naju-si Establishes 'Child Protection Team' to Prevent Child Abuse

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Han-hyuk] Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) announced on the 12th that it established a dedicated department for investigating child abuse, the "Child Protection Team," through a departmental reorganization on the 6th.

The establishment of the Child Protection Team is in accordance with the revision of the Child Welfare Act to promote a complete overhaul of the child abuse response system, one of the government's 10 core tasks of the "Inclusive Nation Child Policy."

According to the relevant law, to strengthen public responsibility for children, tasks such as receiving child abuse reports, on-site investigations, and emergency protection have been transferred from the existing Child Protection Agencies to local governments.

Accordingly, local governments are required to assign dedicated public officials for child abuse response to perform these duties.

The city assigned two child abuse investigation officials and two child protection specialists to the newly established Child Protection Team.

The Child Protection Team handles child abuse report reception, abuse determination through on-site investigations, emergency protection, and family reunification tasks. Additionally, it conducts health checkups and psychological tests for children requiring protection, establishing and monitoring management plans.

Furthermore, the team investigates abuse cases together with the police upon receiving child abuse reports.

In addition, to protect victimized children, the team can request attendance, statements, and submission of materials from the abusers.

The Jeonnam Central Region Child Protection Agency, which previously handled child abuse investigations, has shifted its role to in-depth case management and focuses on preventing re-abuse and supporting affected families by strengthening education for abusers.

Mayor Kang In-gyu stated, "As the key entity and control tower for regional child protection, we will focus our capabilities to ensure that the rights and safety of abused children are prioritized," adding, "We will do our best to manage cases and prevent re-abuse in collaboration with private child protection agencies."

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