Received Over 3 Million Won in Monthly Aid... 20-Month-Old Girl Dies from Malnutrition

Found Dead the Day After Scheduled Daycare Admission

Biological Mother Arrested on Charges of Child Abuse Resulting in Death

The biological mother of a 20-month-old girl who died from malnutrition was found to have received over 3 million won in public support each month.

A woman in her 20s accused of neglect leading to the death of her 20-month-old daughter is entering the Incheon District Court on the afternoon of the 7th for a pre-arrest warrant hearing. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News on March 11, the family of the deceased child, who was found dead on March 4, had been classified as a basic livelihood security recipient and a single-parent household. Since last year, they had been receiving public support averaging over 3 million won per month, including livelihood benefits and child allowances.

B, a woman in her twenties who was raising the deceased child and her older sister alone, was found to have regularly used the "Food Bank," a program that provides daily necessities and food to vulnerable households. Through the Food Bank, she received items such as beverages, donuts, candy, and hats. The last recorded use of the Food Bank was on February 11, just one month before the child was found dead.

However, despite this support, it was reported that the child was in a severe state of malnutrition at the time she was discovered.

Home visit counseling by the local government for the child's family was conducted only once, in February last year, and was not repeated. After that, the family was managed through phone counseling, online consultations, or visits to the administrative welfare center, rather than home visits.

An official from Namdong District stated, "According to relevant laws, the living conditions of basic livelihood security recipient households can be checked not only through home visits but also by phone and other various methods," adding, "However, to ensure more thorough monitoring in the future, we will strengthen the management system, including conducting home visits when necessary to closely verify living conditions."

The deceased child also attended a daycare orientation with her mother B on February 20. It was confirmed that B had received a consultation with the local government regarding an application for childcare fees on February 25, one week before her daughter died. However, on March 3, the scheduled date for the child to start daycare, she did not attend, and she was found dead the next day, on March 4.

An official from the administrative welfare center in charge explained, "She visited the Food Market regularly, and both in-person and phone consultations were conducted, so there were no signs of crisis and the family was not subject to case management," adding, "Even during the home visit counseling in February last year, no particular issues were found with the child."

The police have arrested and are investigating the mother, B, on charges of child abuse resulting in death under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes. They are also conducting an additional investigation to determine whether there was neglect involving the older sister, who is an elementary school student. Immediately after the incident, the older sister was separated from her mother and is currently under the care of a child protection facility.

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