'16-Month-Old Adopted Child Abuse Death' Parents Sent to Prosecution... "Repeated Abuse and Neglect"

Charges Including Abuse Resulting in Death and Neglect Applied
Departments with 'Inadequate Initial Response' Under Investigation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The police investigating the death of a 16-month-old adopted child have sent the parents accused of abuse to the prosecution with an indictment opinion.

On the 19th, the Yangcheon Police Station in Seoul announced that they had sent the mother of the victim child, Ms. Jang, to the prosecution on charges of child abuse resulting in death and neglect, and her husband, Mr. A, on charges of neglect and aiding and abetting.

The police explained, "The two neglected and abused the infant over a long period, leading to death," and added, "Based on multiple witness interviews, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, and the victim child's medical records, we conducted an investigation and confirmed the charges."

Ms. Jang was arrested on the 11th on suspicion of abusing and causing the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Ms. B. She was investigated for physically abusing Ms. B multiple times and neglecting her by leaving her alone in a car.

Ms. B died on the 13th of last month at a hospital in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu. When she was brought to the hospital, she had severe injuries to her abdomen and brain, which led hospital staff to suspect child abuse and report it to the police.

The National Forensic Service issued an opinion after a detailed autopsy that "abdominal injuries caused by external force" were the cause of Ms. B's death.

Ms. B was adopted by the couple in February of this year. Ms. Jang's abusive behavior reportedly began about a month after the adoption and was repeated multiple times. During the police investigation, Ms. Jang admitted to some charges but denied the charge of abuse resulting in death.

Ms. Jang's husband, Mr. A, is suspected of aiding or conspiring in Ms. Jang's neglect. However, the police stated that there was no evidence that he participated in or aided her physical abuse.

There were three reports of child abuse before Ms. B's death, but each time, the police and child protection agencies failed to find evidence of abuse and returned Ms. B to her parents. This has led to criticism that the police's complacent initial response exacerbated the problem.

The police explained, "Cases previously closed without charges or investigations have been re-examined and some have been sent to prosecution with indictment opinions," adding, "The department that initially investigated the case is under internal review."

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