11-Year-Old Found Dead After Being Brought From Church... Witness Says "He Was Tied to a Bed"

Police have launched an investigation after an 11-year-old child was found unconscious at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, and ultimately died.

According to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency on August 8, police are considering applying charges of child abuse resulting in death against three adults who had been staying with the deceased boy, identified as A, at the church.

Around 8:50 a.m. on August 5, boy A showed symptoms of a high fever and reduced consciousness at the church and was transported to a hospital by 119 emergency services, but passed away about three hours later.

Fire authorities were dispatched to the scene following a report from the church stating that "the child is sick," and three adults were present with boy A at the church at the time.

As a result of the police requesting an autopsy from the National Forensic Service, the initial verbal opinion showed no specific findings such as fractures. However, police are closely examining the fact that boy A showed symptoms of dehydration at the time of transfer and that visible wounds were found on parts of his body.

In particular, police have secured a witness statement saying, "The child was tied to a bed," and are intensively questioning the adults who were at the church at the time to determine whether any abusive acts took place.

The deceased boy A had reportedly spent his entire life at this church since birth, and his maternal grandmother and others intermittently visited the church.

Meanwhile, the police confirmed that when emergency responders requested admission to six general hospitals in the Cheonan area at the time of the rescue, they could not find available beds and thus transported him to Sejong City, which is an hour away, and are also looking into the circumstances surrounding the delayed emergency room acceptance.

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