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| Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presides over a meeting with ministers of relevant government departments on child abuse prevention at the Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap |
By Jung Da-min
Heavier sentencing for abusers of children is being discussed following the death of a 16-month-old baby girl at the hands of abusive parents.
Public anger has been mounting over the case, after an investigative journalism program on local broadcaster SBS last weekend covered the story, which showed that the girl named Jung-in died last October after being habitually assaulted and abused by her adoptive mother for at least five months. It was found that a worker at the child's daycare center and others reported suspicions of child abuse to the police three times but the police did not take proper action as the parents denied the allegations. The adoptive mother has since been arrested.
President Moon Jae-in also expressed his regret of the incident, saying the follow-up management system for adopted children needs an overall reexamination to prevent child abuse.
"We need to strengthen management and supervision of the entire adoption process," Moon was cited as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok, Monday. "Related ministries including the Ministry of Health and Welfare are urged to make sure that children's interests should come first during the entire adoption process."
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presided over an emergency meeting with the heads of relevant ministries to discuss the matter.
"In order to strongly punish perpetrators of child abuse, it is necessary to ask the court not to be lenient on abusers, while seeking ways to further strengthen public responsibility," Chung said during the meeting.
In early December, the National Assembly passed a revision bill of the Child Welfare Act to enable immediate separation and protection of victims of child abuse from abusive parents when there are more than two reports of suspected abuse. The revision will take effect in March.
Besides this, lawmakers vowed to propose more bills to prevent abuse of children.
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon said during a meeting Tuesday that the party would make further efforts to minimize blind spots in the current child protection system.
"The party will quickly propose a revision to the act on punishment of child abuse crimes and prepare measures to prevent passive responses in implementing follow-up measures," Kim said.
Rep. Shin Hyung-young, a doctor-turned-lawmaker with the DPK, said that she would push ahead with building a child abuse prevention system in medical organizations through which doctors could be notified when treating children who may be victims of abuse.
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is also preparing related bills on child abuse prevention.
"I feel sinful as an adult as our generation could not protect the 16-month-old child," PPP spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said Monday. "Mothers and fathers believe it is not child abuse resulting in death but, in fact, murder."
The minor opposition Justice Party also called on the government to strictly punish the relevant organizations and officials in charge of the case, while thoroughly reviewing child welfare systems to prevent recurrence of such an incident.
