Controversy is mounting as it has been revealed that police have closed their internal investigation into the death of a 44-month-old girl in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, which occurred 7 years ago, for the second time this year.

The police stance is that they investigated the case from multiple angles during the preliminary investigation stages in 2019 and this year, but could not secure evidence to prove criminal charges, and thus did not launch a formal investigation.

However, criticisms are being raised over whether it was appropriate to close the preliminary investigation twice, given that there were circumstances arousing suspicion of child abuse—such as the stepmother being sent to the prosecution in the past for abusing the victim's older sister after the victim's death, and capsaicin being detected in the victim's body.

The internal investigation report by the Seongbuk Police Station regarding the 2019 death of the victim states that the situation suspected child abuse.

It is reported that the police investigated about 30 people at the time, including the parents and other family members, relatives, and individuals connected to the deceased child's residence and daily life.

However, the report noted that the Seongbuk Police Station launched an internal investigation targeting the family of the deceased, reviewed the timeline on the day of the death, closed-circuit television footage, and digital forensics of family members' mobile phones, and closed the case under the direction of a prosecutor after finding no signs of child abuse or harsh treatment.

The police concluded there were no criminal suspicions, accepting statements from the family that the marks were self-inflicted by the child, who had an intellectual disability.

However, medical staff and the National Forensic Service left opinions suspecting abuse at the time, citing bruises all over the child's body and the detection of capsaicin components in her blood.

In addition, new circumstances that could cast suspicion on the stepmother emerged after the first closure of the preliminary investigation.

It was confirmed that the stepmother, surnamed B, was investigated by the Seongbuk Police Station and sent to the prosecution in December of last year on charges of abusing the victim's older sister on two occasions: October 1, 2019, about 3 months after the victim died on June 28, 2019, and in January 2024.

The decision on whether to indict stepmother B has not yet been made.

According to the police transfer decision document, B was investigated for subjecting the older sister to abuse, such as bending her fingers backward and beating her all over her body until her teeth broke.

The older sister also stated during police questioning that the stepmother subjected her to abuse, including confinement, binding, and sleep deprivation.

After suspicions surrounding the death of the younger sister were reported through some media outlets, the Seongbuk Police Station conducted a second preliminary investigation early this year.

However, the police did not separately book the stepmother, who has a history of child abuse, as a suspect in the younger sister's death.

The Seongbuk Police Station stated that the stepmother's abuse of the older sister and the younger sister's death are separate cases, and that they simply failed to find new evidence to capture criminal suspicion during the second preliminary investigation either.

The National Forensic Service wrote in the autopsy report for the younger sister that there is doubt as to whether she consumed the capsaicin on her own, and since aspects hard to view as self-inflicted—such as the detection of capsaicin—were confirmed, the possibility of abuse by another person cannot be completely ruled out.

The opinion that the possibility of abuse could not be completely ruled out was also presented, considering the bruises and bite marks all over the younger sister's body.

However, the police's first internal investigation closing report contains no mention of capsaicin, which could point to circumstances of child abuse.

The police had also secured a statement from the Sunflower Center given by the older sister, containing circumstances that the stepmother fed spicy sauce, such as hot sauce, to the younger sister while disciplining her.

During the second preliminary investigation stage, the older sister stated to the police in writing, "I clearly remember the stepmother feeding spicy things to my younger sister," adding, "When the stepmother fed my sister spicy things, the two of them were in the kitchen, and I saw it from the master bedroom."

She also stated that her sister had a hard time, suffered greatly, and hated it very much.

In response, the police stated that they concluded there were no criminal suspicions, taking into consideration that no DNA indicating the intervention of another person was detected on the child's body, and that medical records and autopsy findings showed observations that could be seen as evidence of self-harm.

When asked about the circumstances under which the younger sister ingested capsaicin, a police official explained, "We check for criminal suspicions," adding, "Since there were no criminal suspicions, we closed the internal investigation."

Regarding the circumstances of why the child was covered in bruises, they replied that specific details could not be disclosed as there is a possibility of an investigation review.

The Seongbuk Police Station concluded that applying legal charges of neglect under the Child Welfare Act against the parents and others was also legally difficult, and ultimately closed the second preliminary investigation.

Inside and outside the legal community, voices are saying that it is suspicious the police closed the preliminary investigation twice even though it was a case where they could have sufficiently launched a formal investigation to determine the presence of charges.

The younger sister's father applied for an investigation review to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 7th.

An investigation review is a procedure that case parties, such as complainants and accusers, can file if they judge that there was unfairness or illegality in the investigation procedure or results.

If the application is deemed appropriate, an investigation review committee involving external experts such as lawyers and legal scholars is held.

Through the review, instructions such as supplementation, reinvestigation, prompt processing, transfer to another department or office, and reassignment can be given.

Although it is not legally binding, it is difficult to reject without a justifiable reason.

(Photo: Provided by the younger sister's father, Yonhap News)