Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Seoul City Join Forces to Find Children at Risk of Abuse in Protection Blind Spots

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it will conduct inspections for one month starting from the 13th to check on children at risk of abuse who are in blind spots of protection.

The inspection targets 344 children who were pre-selected by the police, autonomous districts, and child protection agencies as those at risk of re-abuse or requiring home visits and inspections during the period from January last year to April this year. This includes children under investigation for child abuse by the police, children suspected of abuse who require inspection, children refusing case management by child protection agencies, or those showing high-risk signs of abuse.

The inspection will be conducted jointly by three organizations: the police station, autonomous district, and child protection agency. They will visit homes to directly meet the children and check their physical and psychological condition, as well as their living environment. They will focus on determining whether re-abuse has occurred by listening to statements from the child, the abuser, and surrounding individuals. If there is a risk of re-abuse or if child protection measures are needed during the inspection, the police will take emergency measures or immediate separation and will promptly initiate investigations if there is any suspicion of criminal activity.

Previously, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency signed a joint response agreement on child abuse with the Seoul Metropolitan Government last year and has regularized joint inspections twice a year. According to the police, through these inspections, 12 people have been booked for violating the Child Welfare Act, and 33 cases have been protected and supported.

According to the police, reports and arrests related to child abuse have shown a continuous increasing trend over the past three years. In particular, after the infant death case in Yangcheon in October 2020, the number of child abuse reports reached 4,236 last year, a 61.3% increase compared to 2,626 the previous year. The number of arrests also rose by 154%, from 821 the previous year to 2,085 last year.

The police plan to conduct inspections targeting children at risk of abuse again in the second half of the year in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Kim Kwang-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said, "Protecting children is one of the important responsibilities of the Seoul Police. We will do our best to prevent re-abuse and prioritize protecting children in crisis through active cooperation with related organizations."

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