3 More Church Associates Forwarded to Prosecutors Over 11-Year-Old's Child Abuse Death in Cheonan

Three church associates have been additionally forwarded to prosecutors in connection with the case of an 11-year-old child with an intellectual disability who died from abuse while staying at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.

The South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency announced that three individuals, including a man in his 30s who is the adopted son of the church pastor and two female church members, have been forwarded without detention on charges including child abuse resulting in death.

They are accused of abusing the victim while living together with the child at the church, or of neglecting the child while knowing about the abuse committed by the pastor and the grandmother.

Previously, the church pastor and the maternal grandmother were indicted and detained on charges of tying up the victim child with a chain for 38 hours and leaving the child unattended, resulting in death.

Investigations showed that even after the child went outside the church and disclosed the fact that they were being abused, the suspects continued to subject the child to abuse, such as striking the child's palms and soles dozens of times and applying liquid pain-relief medication to the child's eyes and ears.

Meanwhile, police believe that the pastor worked as a disability activity support worker for the victim child, but falsely logged hours without actually providing the services and claimed wages.

The police plan to additionally forward the pastor, who is currently standing trial on charges of child abuse resulting in death, on charges of violating the Act on Disability Activity Support, and request Cheonan City to revoke the pastor's qualification as a disability activity support worker.

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