Father Who Threw Dumbbell on Hospital Ship Said He Hit Police with His Hand

5-Year-Old Son Assaulted, Orbital Bone Fracture... Heartless Fatherly Love
Inconsistent Statements... Special Injury Charge Added for Dumbbell Assault

[Asia Economy Reporters Seongpil Cho, Seungyun Song] On the 26th, it was revealed that a father under police investigation for assaulting his 5-year-old son at a countryside house in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, explained the incident to medical staff by saying he "threw a dumbbell." The day before, during a police interview, he had stated that he hit his son with his hand.(Refer to Asia Economy March 25 article '[Exclusive] Report of "Father assaults 5-year-old son" in Yongin... Police internal investigation')

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy, Park Mo (28) reportedly told medical staff at a university hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, early the previous morning that "my son was hit by the dumbbell I threw." His explanation was detailed enough to specify the weight of the dumbbell. Based on Park’s account, the medical staff filed a suspected child abuse report with the police. However, Park reportedly changed his statements multiple times during police interviews. Initially, he said, "My son got caught up in a marital dispute," but later changed his story to "I hit my son with my hand because he refused to eat." When the police investigation began, he attempted to minimize and distort his crime.

When the son, A, arrived at the university hospital, his left eye area was severely bruised. At a nearby hospital near their home, he was told, "The condition is serious and he needs to be transferred to a larger hospital." Medical examinations revealed signs of external trauma, including fractures around the bones near the left eye. Park reportedly gave incoherent explanations, claiming, "My son hit the dining table, causing this."

The police have launched an internal investigation based on the medical staff’s report and Park’s statements. An internal investigation is a preliminary stage before a formal investigation; if evidence of a crime emerges during this stage, it will be escalated to a full investigation. Considering the seriousness of the case, the investigation was assigned to the Women and Juvenile Investigation Unit of the Southern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, rather than the local police station. Currently, the police are reviewing charges against Park for violating the Child Welfare Act, but if evidence emerges during further investigation that he threw the dumbbell, they may add charges of special injury. Under criminal law, special injury is a serious offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The police plan to first conduct a victim interview with A. He was transferred to a protective facility the day before. So far, no external injuries have been found except on his face. Once the victim interview with A is completed, the police plan to summon Park to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident and whether there are additional offenses.

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