Hair Pulled and Brutally Beaten... Daycare Turned into a 'House of Horror'

Repeated Cases of Chronic Child Abuse in Childcare Facilities
"Where Are We Supposed to Raise Our Children?" Parents Outraged
CCTV Installation Made Mandatory in 2015, but Inspection and Viewing Remain Limited
Poor Working Conditions Also Cited as a Factor in Child Abuse Issues
Experts Say "Child Abuse Prevention Education Needs Improvement, Trust Between Children and Parents Must Be Strengthened"

Two childcare teachers at a public daycare center in Incheon, accused of abusing children with disabilities and other charges, entered the Incheon District Court on the afternoon of the 15th of last month to undergo a pre-trial detention hearing. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] As incidents of childcare teachers abusing children at daycare centers have been repeatedly reported, parents' anger is growing. Childcare institutions, which should safely protect children during their vulnerable stages, have instead become places where abuse and violence risks must be feared. It has been pointed out that the reasons why abuse incidents within childcare institutions continue without end include inadequate education environment inspection systems and job stress among childcare teachers caused by poor working conditions.

On the 29th, the Western Incheon Police Station announced that they had restored closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing childcare teachers abusing children at a public daycare center in Incheon related to 'habitual child abuse.'

The restored footage captured six childcare teachers repeatedly abusing children, including those with disabilities, over about six months from May to October last year. The newly confirmed suspected additional abuse acts in the footage amounted to more than 30 instances.

These teachers are accused of abusing 10 children aged 1 to 6, including five diagnosed with autism or showing signs of disabilities, at the daycare center from November to December last year.

Investigations revealed that they sprayed water on the faces of the victimized children with a sprayer, dragged them by their hair for not sleeping, and repeatedly struck the children's abdomens with their palms.

Abuse footage released by the parents of children affected at the daycare center. Childcare teachers are grilling meat, while the children are gathered on a mat watching media videos on a laptop. / Photo by Yonhap News

When these individuals entered the Incheon District Court on the 15th of last month for a pre-trial detention hearing (warrant review), parents of the abused children gathered in front of the courthouse and expressed their outrage.

On that day, parents told reporters, "On Valentine's Day, the day before the warrant review, the abusive teachers left a basket of snacks and an apology letter in front of our homes," and broke down in tears saying, "I was so disgusted that I didn't even open it."

This is not the first case of childcare teachers abusing children at daycare centers. Previously, in November last year, a daycare teacher in her 40s in Seoul was arrested by the police for mixing substances such as mosquito repellent and surfactants into the meals of children. The children who consumed the tainted meals suffered from vomiting, nosebleeds, and allergic reactions.

Given these circumstances, parents with children are expressing anxiety about childcare facilities.

A working parent named Ahn (33), living in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, with her 3-year-old son, said, "Both my husband and I work, so we leave our child at a nearby daycare center, but every time I hear news about child abuse, my heart sinks," and expressed her frustration, "Daycare centers should be the safest places for children, but if even those places are rife with violence and abuse, how are we supposed to raise our children?"

It has been pointed out that measures to ensure children's safety within childcare facilities are not functioning properly. The government mandated the installation of CCTV in daycare centers following the enforcement of the Infant Care Act amendment in 2015.

However, under current regulations, the director of a daycare center must create a monthly inspection plan and conduct a weekly self-inspection of the installed CCTV. Since daycare centers manage and inspect CCTV footage themselves, it is relatively easy to conceal problems if they arise.

The number of children per childcare teacher in South Korea is up to 20, which is significantly higher than the OECD member countries' average of 9. / Photo by Yonhap News

Also, even if parents suspect child abuse and request CCTV footage to secure evidence, under the current Personal Information Protection Act, they cannot freely view footage containing other individuals, so mosaic editing must be done for each case.

In fact, in 2019, a parent in Gyeonggi Province requested to view CCTV footage at a daycare center, but the daycare center responded that mosaic editing would cost about 30 million won, leading the parent to give up the request. Considering the cost of mosaic editing, requesting CCTV footage is not an easy task.

It has also been pointed out that the poor working conditions of domestic childcare teachers contribute to causing child abuse. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 'Infant Care Business Regulations,' currently, one childcare teacher in Korea is responsible for caring for 3 children aged 0, 5 children aged 1, 7 children aged 2, 15 children aged 3, and up to 20 children aged 4 to 5.

This number is significantly higher than the average childcare teacher-to-child ratio of 9 in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Because one teacher is responsible for many children, they inevitably suffer from heavy workloads and stress.

According to a report titled 'Perceptions and Demands Regarding Children's Rights and Child Abuse among Daycare and Kindergarten Teachers' published last year by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, childcare teachers cited stress as the main cause of child abuse.

In the survey of 524 daycare and kindergarten teachers, 46.2% answered that 'job stress' was the cause of child abuse incidents caused by teachers, followed by 29.8% citing 'teachers' limits in emotional regulation and control.'

Experts advise that education related to child abuse for childcare teachers should be supplemented.

Gong Hye-jung, president of the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association, emphasized, "The biggest reason child abuse problems occur in childcare facilities is the overall inadequacy of child abuse prevention education for teachers," and added, "A definite supplementary measure at the government level is necessary."

There was also a suggestion that trust between families and childcare facilities needs to be restored.

Yang Mi-seon, a childcare policy researcher at the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, advised, "Daycare centers and kindergartens should operate openly to strengthen trust between institutions and parents, and increase opportunities for parents to participate in the operation of daycare centers and kindergartens to restore mutual trust," adding, "This will help not only children and parents but also teachers to overcome trauma related to child abuse and maintain stable work."

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