Exclusive: Grandparents Also Involved in '3-Year-Old Death' Child Abuse Case in Yangju... "Because He Moved in the Car"

Regarding 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 circumstances of abuse involving the boy's biological mother and grandparents on May 29, and have referred four individuals, including the father, to the prosecution.

According to SBS reporting, it was confirmed that the grandmother, identified as B, and the grandfather, identified as C, inflicted physical and emotional abuse on the child 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 grandmother, B, struck the back of his head.

Police also determined that the grandfather, C, committed emotional abuse by directing severe verbal abuse toward the child.

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

The biological father and mother of the deceased child are accused of physically and emotionally abusing, as well as neglecting and abandoning, their three sons—aged 6, 5, and the deceased 3-year-old—on 12 separate occasions between January of last year and March of this year, including hitting them with a back scratcher and 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 the hospital and underwent brain surgery, but never regained consciousness and passed 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.