[Summary] "What Did They Feed to Cause Bloody Stool in Healthy Children?" Ansan 'Mass Food Poisoning' Kindergarten Director Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Court: "Committed in an organized and intelligent manner like a criminal organization"

A private kindergarten in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where a mass food poisoning incident occurred last June. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The director of a private kindergarten in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, who caused a mass food poisoning incident affecting about 90 people, including kindergarten students, last June, has been sentenced to prison. Some of the children who suffered from food poisoning at the time were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome and underwent hospitalization and treatment, enduring significant hardship.

The 2nd Criminal Division of the Ansan Branch of Suwon District Court (Chief Judge Song Jungho) sentenced the kindergarten director, Mr. A, who was tried on charges including professional negligence causing injury and violation of the Food Sanitation Act, to a fine of 10 million won and five years in prison on the 18th. The court also sentenced the kindergarten’s nutritionist and cook, who were indicted on the same charges, to two years and two years and six months in prison, respectively.

The court stated, "It is fully recognized that Mr. A and others provided meals to the children without proper hygiene management, causing harm to 97 children, and obstructed the epidemiological investigation," adding, "The nature of the crime is serious."

Furthermore, the court explained the sentencing rationale, saying, "Mr. A and others committed the crime in an organized and intelligent manner, like a criminal organization. Mr. A’s greed for personal gain and neglect of food ingredient management are the fundamental causes of this incident."

Suwon District Court Ansan Branch / Photo by Yonhap News

Mr. A, the nutritionist, and the cook are accused of neglecting hygiene management and providing meals contaminated with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, causing the children to suffer from food poisoning. They are also charged with obstructing the investigation by submitting newly prepared or preserved meals from different dates to the officials conducting the epidemiological investigation after the incident occurred.

The incident occurred on June 16 last year when some children attending the private kindergarten in Ansan, where Mr. A was the director, showed symptoms of food poisoning.

According to the epidemiological investigation by Ansan City at the time, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli was detected in 42 children and one teacher. Among the 31 patients who were transported to the hospital and hospitalized for treatment, 14 were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and even received dialysis treatment.

HUS became known as "hamburger disease" after dozens of children in the United States showed mass food poisoning symptoms in 1982 after eating hamburgers containing undercooked meat patties. It is reported that about half of the patients infected with this disease suffer kidney function damage severe enough to require dialysis treatment.

A petition urging an investigation into corruption at a private kindergarten in Ansan where a mass food poisoning incident occurred last June. / Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture

Some parents posted petitions on the Blue House’s national petition board urging an investigation into the corruption of the kindergarten.

A petitioner who identified herself as "a mother of a 5-year-old child living in Ansan" wrote on the national petition board on June 25 last year, "My child complained of stomach pain while attending kindergarten as usual and spending a peaceful weekend," and questioned, "What kind of food, or what spoiled food, could cause a healthy child’s body to require dialysis?"

She added, "In this situation, the kindergarten suspected the food sold at the weekly market in front of the apartment," emphasizing, "We just sent our children to kindergarten, but now the children are seeing bloody stools and undergoing dialysis."

She also expressed her feelings, saying, "I’m sorry, Mom. If only I hadn’t sent you to that kindergarten."

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