This is the first of a two-part series on child abuse cases. ― ED.
By Chung Ah-young
The death of a seven-year-old boy allegedly caused by his father's violence has once again shocked the nation, following the discovery last month that an 11-year-old girl in Incheon was starved and abused by her father for more than three years.
The latest case is additionally disturbing because the father admitted to police that he dismembered his son's body and kept the remains in a freezer at the family home for more than three years after the boy died in November 2012.
The father initially said that his son was injured after falling in the bathroom and died about a month later as the parents didn't take him to hospital. But the mother said Wednesday that her husband who was in a drunken rage severely beat the son for about two hours the day before he died. She is also believed to have helped the husband dismember the boy's body.
Such incidents have increased public concern about the possibility of unreported cases of child abuse.
‘Children are not parents' property'
Experts say that most incidents of child abuse are perpetrated by the parents of children in their own homes.
According to research by the Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC), a total of 95,622 cases of abuse were reported to child protection centers between 2004 and 2013. Of these, 82.7 percent were perpetrated by parents, followed by caregivers in 6.8 percent of cases and other relatives at 6.2 percent.
Child protection professionals also say that abusive parents regard their children as "property" and justify the abuse they perpetrate as part of normal disciplinary action.
"The biggest reason behind parents' abuse is the deep-rooted perception that children belong to them so that they can do anything to them," said Kim Mi-ae, director of the Good Neighbors child protection center in Daejeon.
"Even law enforcement agencies are lenient on parents' maltreatment and corporal punishment if they claim it is part of discipline," she said.
She added that most incidents of child abuse happen secretly in homes over long periods of time, which can be hard to detect. "Many abusive parents tell us, ‘It's none of your business. They're my children. It's my way of raising them,'" she said.
In response to serious cases of child abuse, the court strips adults found guilty of their parental rights. Last May, the Incheon District Court deprived a mother of her parental rights for the habitual abuse of her two daughters. The mother allegedly poured hot water on her daughter's legs because she didn't listen to her.
However, the country lacks facilities to offer shelter for abused children who need to be separated from their abusive parents. Currently there are 51 child protection centers nationwide with seven to eight workers at each.
Data also shows that family breakups are another cause of child neglect and abuse.
KIC researcher Kang Eun-young said that children in families with step-parents or single parents often fall prey to abuse.
"Family breakups have accelerated the child-rearing burden on parents, often leading to cases of fatal abuse," Kang said.
Lately, the prolonged economic downturn has accelerated family disorganization and weakened the family's function to protect children, she said.
According to Good Neighbors, 56 percent of child abuse cases are committed in low-income families.
"Financial difficulties disrupt the relationship between spouses, naturally affecting the family bond," Kim said.
Abuse passed down
Many abusive parents say that they were also the victims of child abuse when they were young. In the Bucheon case, the father claimed that he was beaten during his childhood. According to police he was often physically abused by his mother but was never sent to hospital and thus claimed that he didn't think his son would die.
"The father grew up in physical and social isolation, neglected by his indifferent parents," a police officer said.
Moreover, the father who abused his daughter in Incheon said that he had been maltreated by his parents as well.
Kim said that some 80 percent of child abusers are abused, neglected or maltreated during childhood.
Social responsibility
Child welfare professionals say that more people should pay attention to children in order to prevent child abuse.
Current laws require teachers, doctors and social welfare center workers to report cases of suspected child abuse to the authorities.
Kim said that many people are reluctant to intervene in domestic affairs or report suspected child abuse to the authorities.
"It is important to detect any kind of abuse or negligence in early stages to prevent tragedy," she said. "We hope that people keep an eye on children suffering. Child abuse is not a domestic matter. It's a crime. Society should change its perceptions."
By Chung Ah-young
The death of a seven-year-old boy allegedly caused by his father's violence has once again shocked the nation, following the discovery last month that an 11-year-old girl in Incheon was starved and abused by her father for more than three years.
The latest case is additionally disturbing because the father admitted to police that he dismembered his son's body and kept the remains in a freezer at the family home for more than three years after the boy died in November 2012.
The father initially said that his son was injured after falling in the bathroom and died about a month later as the parents didn't take him to hospital. But the mother said Wednesday that her husband who was in a drunken rage severely beat the son for about two hours the day before he died. She is also believed to have helped the husband dismember the boy's body.
Such incidents have increased public concern about the possibility of unreported cases of child abuse.
‘Children are not parents' property'
Experts say that most incidents of child abuse are perpetrated by the parents of children in their own homes.
According to research by the Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC), a total of 95,622 cases of abuse were reported to child protection centers between 2004 and 2013. Of these, 82.7 percent were perpetrated by parents, followed by caregivers in 6.8 percent of cases and other relatives at 6.2 percent.
Child protection professionals also say that abusive parents regard their children as "property" and justify the abuse they perpetrate as part of normal disciplinary action.
"The biggest reason behind parents' abuse is the deep-rooted perception that children belong to them so that they can do anything to them," said Kim Mi-ae, director of the Good Neighbors child protection center in Daejeon.
"Even law enforcement agencies are lenient on parents' maltreatment and corporal punishment if they claim it is part of discipline," she said.
She added that most incidents of child abuse happen secretly in homes over long periods of time, which can be hard to detect. "Many abusive parents tell us, ‘It's none of your business. They're my children. It's my way of raising them,'" she said.
In response to serious cases of child abuse, the court strips adults found guilty of their parental rights. Last May, the Incheon District Court deprived a mother of her parental rights for the habitual abuse of her two daughters. The mother allegedly poured hot water on her daughter's legs because she didn't listen to her.
However, the country lacks facilities to offer shelter for abused children who need to be separated from their abusive parents. Currently there are 51 child protection centers nationwide with seven to eight workers at each.
Data also shows that family breakups are another cause of child neglect and abuse.
KIC researcher Kang Eun-young said that children in families with step-parents or single parents often fall prey to abuse.
"Family breakups have accelerated the child-rearing burden on parents, often leading to cases of fatal abuse," Kang said.
Lately, the prolonged economic downturn has accelerated family disorganization and weakened the family's function to protect children, she said.
According to Good Neighbors, 56 percent of child abuse cases are committed in low-income families.
"Financial difficulties disrupt the relationship between spouses, naturally affecting the family bond," Kim said.
Abuse passed down
Many abusive parents say that they were also the victims of child abuse when they were young. In the Bucheon case, the father claimed that he was beaten during his childhood. According to police he was often physically abused by his mother but was never sent to hospital and thus claimed that he didn't think his son would die.
"The father grew up in physical and social isolation, neglected by his indifferent parents," a police officer said.
Moreover, the father who abused his daughter in Incheon said that he had been maltreated by his parents as well.
Kim said that some 80 percent of child abusers are abused, neglected or maltreated during childhood.
Social responsibility
Child welfare professionals say that more people should pay attention to children in order to prevent child abuse.
Current laws require teachers, doctors and social welfare center workers to report cases of suspected child abuse to the authorities.
Kim said that many people are reluctant to intervene in domestic affairs or report suspected child abuse to the authorities.
"It is important to detect any kind of abuse or negligence in early stages to prevent tragedy," she said. "We hope that people keep an eye on children suffering. Child abuse is not a domestic matter. It's a crime. Society should change its perceptions."
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