"Kindergarten Teacher Found Not Guilty After 5 Years in First Trial for 'Tightening Finger with Monkey Spanner'"

Court. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A teacher in their 20s at a kindergarten in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, who was accused of child abuse based on parents' claims, was acquitted in the first trial after litigation.

Today (the 4th), the Uijeongbu District Court Criminal Division 8 (Judge Se-hwang Park) announced that defendant A (29), who was charged with child abuse, was found not guilty. Previously, in September 2016, A was reported to the police by parents of children attending the kindergarten on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act, including child abuse and sexual harassment.

The parents claimed, "The child showed strange behavior, throwing tantrums to avoid going to kindergarten and repeatedly saying 'Teacher, you're not angry, right?' dozens of times." They added, "When we questioned the children, they said the teacher hit their palms or soles with a cane or inserted and tightened their fingers in a monkey spanner to torment them." However, A denied the allegations, stating, "I shouted when the children ran or engaged in dangerous behavior, but there was no physical contact," and "I never took out tools like a monkey spanner in front of the children."

At the time, the police found the children's statements consistent and, noting that they accurately knew how to operate a monkey spanner, referred A's case to the prosecution. The prosecution initially dismissed the case due to 'insufficient evidence,' but after accepting the parents' request for reconsideration, reinvestigated and brought A to trial.

However, the court stated, "Some of the children's testimonies claiming harm are inconsistent, and there is no CCTV footage capturing abuse or physical injuries," adding, "The evidence submitted by the prosecution alone cannot prove the crime." The court further explained, "While the victims' statements raise suspicion of abuse, another teacher was identified as the person who used the monkey spanner," and "Contrary to the claims of the victim children's parents, it seems difficult for abuse to have been continuously and extensively concealed from those around."

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