Police-Children’s Organization-Resident Center, hole in ‘triangular shield’ to prevent the death of an adopted child

The death of 16-month-old adopted child A, which occurred on the 13th, was a tragedy caused by several loopholes of related organizations that were able to identify and prevent child abuse in advance. The police received reports of alleged abuses against Miss A three times and investigated them, but did not reveal the charges. As a private institution, an agency specialized in child protection, whose investigative authority was limited, identified the expected situation based on the unilateral declaration of the parents. A public official in charge of child welfare at a neighboring community center, who was able to reach out to a helping hand near Ms A’s home, was unaware of the case two days after Ms A.’s death.

○ An organization specializing in child protection that only believed in the words of the parents “without problems”

To summarize Dong-A Ilbo’s coverage, an official from a child protection agency spoke with his parents at around 11 am on the 13th, the day of his death, and heard a response that “breathing and pulse returned “regarding your condition. At that time, Miss A was in a state of arriving at the hospital unconscious with a major injury to her brain and abdomen. In a situation in which the suspicion of abuse was continuously lifted for four months starting in May, it was necessary to thoroughly verify whether the arguments of both parents were true, but the specialized child protection agency did not take measures such as the prompt confirmation in the place or the police report.

It was the hospital that informed the police that Ms A was fatally injured that day. This is because several cases of abuse, such as complex fractures, were found on Ms. A’s body. Ms. A ended her short 16-month life around 6pm today. The National Institute of Forensic Research, which performed an autopsy on Miss A, is known to have published the first oral findings of suspected abuse, such as a skull fracture and abdominal bleeding.

The specialized child protection agency is in charge of the primary investigation of families suspected of being abused, but being a private institution, the investigation is limited. Even if the parents do not cooperate with the investigation or lie, it is difficult to use coercive means. In the case of infants and toddlers who have difficulty communicating, even if their parents lie saying “no problem,” it is a difficult structure to determine correctly. The competent child protection agency was aware of the fact that police investigations were carried out three times during the eight months after the adoption of child A due to child abuse, but did not actively separate A and the adoptive parents, believing in the words of his adoptive parents in each investigation. On the 23rd of last month, the doctor who treated Ms A reported that her son’s nutritional status was 112, but the child protection agency heard the explanation from his adoptive parents saying: “The child’s mouth was irritated and the food was hard to eat. ” It was considered difficult to see what was caused by. The police also judged both parents as innocent. The doctor said: “It is difficult to lose 1 kg of 800 g even if you do not eat well,” but the agency and the police relied more on the words of the parents. When Ms. A finally died, the police are investigating and re-investigating A’s parents for child abuse. Dr. Misook Kim from the Korean Institute of Health and Social Affairs said: “Doctors are experts who can judge the abuse situation in the most objective way. The professional child protection agency should have more confidence in the judgment of the experts. “

○ I did not even know the community center in front of the houses of both A.

The passive role of local governments, such as community centers, is also a disappointment. Public officials in charge of child welfare from community centers in each dong can visit families with suspected child abuse, thus they have better access than specialized child protection agencies or the police. If you learn of abuse through a home visit, you should immediately report it to the police as a reporter. The worst situation could have been avoided if the public officials in charge of the community center were aware of the possibility of abuse and made frequent home visits.

The community center near both residential areas A was only 343 m apart. However, the official in charge was unaware of Miss A’s existence until the original report contacted her on the 15th to report her death. The route by which the official was able to detect the abuse of both A’s was almost closed.

Community center officials receive a list of children at risk through the Online Child Happiness Support System. The system selects children for quarterly management based on 41 pieces of information, such as vaccinations and school absences, which can proactively identify victims of abuse. Quantity A did not meet this criterion.

Neither the child protection agency nor the police shared the situation regarding the abuse of both A’s with the local government. There is no obligation to share information under current regulations. Gong Hye-jung, Executive Director of the Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse, said: “Local governments have no way of knowing information from child protection agencies or the police, and information on children at risk managed by local governments. local governments are not shared. It is essential to actively share information with each other. “

Eung-Hyung Jo [email protected] · Jong-min Park · Tae-Eon Kim Reporter / Internal Reporter Lee Gyu-yeol Completed Yonsei University Business Administration