Grandmother of 11-Year-Old Who Died at Cheonan Church Faces Arrest Over Child Abuse Resulting in Death

The maternal grandmother suspected of abusing an 11-year-old child who died while living at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, is now facing the possibility of arrest.

The Cheonan Branch of the Daejeon District Court held a pre-arrest interrogation today (August 11) for A, a woman in her 50s facing charges including child abuse resulting in death.

Upon arriving at the court, A entered the courtroom without answering questions from reporters, such as "Do you admit to the abuse allegations?" and "Why did you leave the child alone at the church?"

A is suspected of abusing and neglecting her 11-year-old grandson, leading to his death while he lived at the church.

Previously, the police applied for an arrest warrant for A based on statements made when 11-year-old B visited the police station in person three days before his death on the 2nd, stating, "I was beaten by my grandmother," as well as past records of A abusing B.

Police believe that while B had lived separately from A at the church since birth, A lived near the church and continued the abuse.

Around 9:00 PM on the 5th, B was transferred to Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital showing symptoms of high fever and impaired consciousness, but ultimately passed away.

The hospital discovered signs suggesting abuse on B's body and reported suspected child abuse to the police.

A decision on whether to arrest A is expected as early as this afternoon.

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