A maternal grandmother accused of abusing and leading to the death of an 11-year-old boy residing at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, has been detained and handed over to prosecutors.
The Chungnam Provincial Police Department reported on the 20th that they have detained a woman in her 50s for alleged child abuse leading to death and have referred her to prosecutors. Earlier, on the 14th, a pastor in his 60s from the same church in Cheonan was also sent to prosecutors with similar charges.
A is accused of mistreating her grandson, B (11 years old), which resulted in his death. B was discovered unconscious with a temperature of 41.5 degrees Celsius at a church in Cheonan on the 5th and passed away about three hours later.
When the 119 emergency responders arrived, B’s blood oxygen level had fallen to 89%. Healthcare professionals noticed signs of restraint and bruises on both his wrists and ankles, leading to a report of child abuse being filed with the authorities. It was said that B had been tied to a bed within the church for more than 30 hours.
On the 2nd and 3rd, the day prior to his passing, B exited the church and informed local traders, “My grandmother struck me,” resulting in police notifications. In 2024, A had previously faced legal consequences for mistreating B.
Even with multiple reports of child abuse, the police and Cheonan City did not separate B from A, citing his mental condition and the facility’s circumstances. Although the police requested a temporary restraining order against A, the court rejected it, stating, “There is no established need.”
B, who has an intellectual disability, has resided at the church or with his grandmother A since birth.
As per records from the Chungnam Office of Education, B was granted a deferred compulsory education decision in July of last year because of inadequate class attendance. In December of the same year, he was relieved from compulsory education due to being unsuitable for regular classes and requiring specialized care. Since March of this year, B has been residing exclusively at the church following his exemption from compulsory education.
The educational officials carried out five safety and location inspections on A or the pastor over a period of 10 months, spanning from July of last year to May of this year. Nevertheless, they reportedly did not detect any indications of child abuse.
According to existing regulations, students who have been granted a deferral or exemption from compulsory education are required to undergo routine safety and location checks conducted by educational authorities. Children who have a history of abuse are classified as “intensive care” cases. Nevertheless, B was not included in this group.
A representative from the education authority said, “Following the child abuse report, the case came under the police and Cheonan City’s responsibility, and there was no exchange of information among the agencies concerning B. As communication with the guardian continued and access to the living facility was not restricted, there was no indication of abuse.”
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