11-Year-Old Boy Found Dead at Church Despite Visiting Police Station for Help

[Anchor]

An 11-year-old boy has been found dead at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. There had already been multiple reports suspecting abuse, and just three days before his death, the boy even visited a police station himself to plead for help, but authorities failed to separate him from his abusers.

Reporter Kim Ji-hoon from TJB.

[Reporter]

In the early morning, a boy wearing a white sleeveless shirt runs down the street.

He looks back from time to time.

This footage was captured a week before 11-year-old boy A died at a church in Cheonan on the 6th of this month after showing symptoms of high fever and decreased responsiveness.

At the time, boy A was found by firefighters and police who had been dispatched following a report that a child was missing, and was handed back over to the church.

[Fire Department Official: A child with an intellectual disability had left home around 6 o'clock and we went there because it was reported that he 'would not come back.']

Boy A was reportedly left at the church by his biological mother right after birth and had lived there ever since, and was diagnosed with an intellectual disability last year.

In particular, suspicions of child abuse had already been raised several times over the past five years while he was living at the church.

According to TJB's coverage, three reports suspecting abuse by his maternal grandmother had been filed prior to boy A's death, prompting police to launch an investigation.

There were two reports just this month alone, which were made by citizens who found boy A outside the church and suspected abuse.

Notably, three days before his death, boy A reportedly went directly to a police station to appeal about the harm he was suffering.

Police and city officials discussed measures to transfer boy A to a protective facility, but ultimately, a separation measure was not implemented.

Police have arrested a pastor in his 60s, surnamed B, over concerns of evidence destruction, and have also requested an arrest warrant for the maternal grandmother.

The maternal grandmother had reportedly been living with boy A at the church for several months prior to the incident, acting effectively as his guardian.

The substantive review of the arrest warrant for the maternal grandmother is scheduled to be held at the Cheonan Branch.

(Video by Song Chang-geon / TJB)

Kim Ji-hoon, TJB
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.