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 reviewing charges of child abuse resulting in death against three adults who had been staying with the deceased child, identified as A, at the church.

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

The fire authorities were dispatched to the scene after receiving a report from the church stating that "the child is sick," and three adults were present with child A at the church at the time.

As a result of the police requesting an autopsy from the National Forensic Service, the preliminary verbal findings showed no unusual signs such as fractures. However, police are closely examining the fact that child A showed symptoms of dehydration at the time of transport and that wounds were visibly identified on parts of the body.

In particular, police have secured a witness statement saying that "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 abuse took place.

The deceased child A had reportedly lived exclusively at this church since birth, and the maternal grandmother and others visited the church intermittently.

Meanwhile, the police confirmed that when the emergency crew requested acceptance from six general hospitals in the Cheonan area at the time of the rescue, they could not find a hospital bed and thus had to transport the child to Sejong City, which is an hour away, and are also looking into the circumstances surrounding the delayed emergency room admission.

(Photo: Yonhap News)