A church pastor in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, has been arrested by police in connection with the case of an 11-year-old child who collapsed unconscious and ultimately died at the church.

On August 10, the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency announced that it is investigating and has arrested a pastor in his 60s, identified as A, on charges of child abuse resulting in death for allegedly neglecting and causing the child to die.

Pastor A is accused of taking in the victim, B, to live at the church over the past several years and continuously abusing or neglecting him.

On the night of August 5, B was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance showing symptoms of high fever and exhaustion, but passed away about three hours later.

At the time, hospital staff discovered signs of abuse, including wounds, on B's body and reported it. Police have also secured a witness statement saying that "B was tied to a bed."

Adding to the tragedy, it was revealed that just about a week before B's death, citizens who saw the child outside had filed two separate reports suspecting child abuse.

A police official stated, "There was a report from educational authorities in 2021 suspecting educational neglect, and a report in 2024 suspecting abuse by the maternal grandmother, but both cases were closed."

At the time, police who received the reports had issued a restraining order against the maternal grandmother and were discussing transferring the child to a protection facility with the local government, but the tragedy occurred before the child could be moved to the facility.

Police are intensively questioning the arrested pastor and church affiliates regarding the exact details of the crime and whether there were any additional offenses.

(Photo: Yonhap News)