"Why Aren't You Wearing a Mask?"... Teacher Who Pinched 3-Year-Old Daycare Child Receives Suspended Sentence

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A childcare teacher who abused daycare children for reasons such as not wearing masks was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 25th, the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 9 (Judge Jinwon Kim) announced that A (38), who was indicted on charges of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspension. It was also added that A was ordered to attend 80 hours of child abuse recidivism prevention lectures and was banned from employment at child-related institutions for three years.

A was tried on charges of physically and emotionally abusing three children, including B (3), at a daycare center in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, about ten times over approximately two months starting from October last year, including pinching both ears. A pinched B’s ears and pulled his arms because B did not follow instructions in the daycare classroom or did not wear a mask properly.

A is also reported to have subjected B to harsh acts such as throwing him onto a blanket to sit or repeatedly pushing his forehead with fingers. Additionally, A reportedly made another child, C (3), sit in a corner of the classroom for 20 minutes without moving because C spilled lotion, and pulled the collar and pinched the cheek of D (3) for not listening to A’s words.

The court stated, "A’s guilt is serious as he physically and emotionally abused three 3-year-old children by pulling their arms and pinching their ears," but also explained the sentencing reasons by saying, "Considering comprehensively that A confessed to the crime, showed remorse, and that fellow teachers petitioned for leniency."

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