Exclusive: Grandparents Also Involved in Abuse of 3-Year-Old Who Died in Yangju: "He Was Moving in the Car"

In connection with the case of a 3-year-old boy, identified as A, who died due to abuse by his biological father in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, police confirmed additional signs of abuse by the boy's biological mother and maternal grandparents on May 29 and have referred four individuals, including the father, to the prosecution.

According to SBS reporting, it was confirmed that the maternal grandmother, identified as B, and the maternal grandfather, identified as C, subjected the child to physical and emotional abuse inside a moving vehicle.

Police investigations revealed that on December 14, 2025, when the 3-year-old boy attempted to climb into the front seat of the car, his maternal grandmother, B, struck him on the back of the head.

Police also determined that the maternal grandfather, C, committed emotional abuse by shouting severe profanities at the child.

The police have charged them with child abuse under the Child Welfare Act.

The deceased child's biological father and mother are accused of physically and emotionally abusing, as well as neglecting and abandoning, their three sons—aged 6, 5, and the 3-year-old who passed away—on 12 separate occasions between January of last year and March of this year, including hitting them with a back scratcher or forcing them to fight each other.

The biological father is accused of throwing his 3-year-old son onto a stone bed with great force at their home in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, on April 9, because the child had urinated in his diaper, leading to his death.

The child, who suffered severe head injuries, was rushed to a hospital and underwent brain surgery but never regained consciousness, eventually passing away five days later.

The victim's biological father has been indicted under detention on charges of child abuse resulting in death and is currently standing trial.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.