Recently, the so-called Jeong-in case, which was reported in the news and on various social media, has been publicized. News of child abuse has been a constant theme in our society since many years ago. The search word “I’m sorry, Jeong-in,” which has been on the search list every day, broke many people’s hearts. In addition, there were many abuse incidents before the incident, but similar incidents have been occurring constantly. As to why these incidents are repeated in our society, Pharos wants to find out about child abuse.

 In fact, even before the “Jeong-in Incident,” child abuse has been a constant problem that surrounds us. The Jeong-in case, which took place around October 2020, was a case in which a 16-month-old adoptee, Jeong-in, died due to the abuse of her adoptive parents. Jeong-in was adopted after being cared for by her foster mother for seven months. However, the child died 281 days after being adopted. Her body was full of fractures and bruises. Doctors say the stomach was full of blood and the pancreas was completely severed. Since the pancreas is also an organ in the back of the abdomen, it is known that it cannot be damaged unless it experiences a strong shock. We could find traces of abuse over a long period of time in the body of a child with a lot of organ wounds. A total of three reports were received, and on May 25, 2020, daycare center teachers found bruises and went to the hospital to diagnose and report them, but the police concluded the report, claiming that “it is not child abuse unless it is broken or torn.” The second report was made on June 29, 2020 on a rainy day, when citizens saw and notified that the child had been left unattended in the car for more than 30 minutes, but the investigation failed due to a late investigation by the police. The third report was made on September 23, 2020, when a daycare center teacher saw the abuse in the child’s body and took her to a hospital, but the report ended without an outcome because of other doctors’ opinions from other hospitals. All three of these reports of child abuse were filed, but the police concluded that the parents were not guilty. The first reporter, a pediatrician, was shocked to see the condition of the child at the time of the third report. This is because the child was hurt even worse than what he had originally seen. There were several opportunities for Jeong-in to live, but the environment surrounding Jeong-in, including child protection agencies and the police, was not helpful. As a result, Jeong-in left us.

 Similar cases occurred periodically even before Jeong-in’s case was publicized. Pharos found a very similar case while investigating the “Jeong-in Incident” of child abuse. The death of an adopted child in Ulsan occurred six years ago. The incident is a case in which a 25-month-old adoptee was beaten with a plastic ruler several times because he plugged chopsticks into an outlet, causing the child to lose consciousness the next day, have difficulty breathing, and die while being taken to a hospital. The investigation results were also mainly due to habitual assault and violation of the Child Protection Act. In addition, there have been endless cases of child abuse, including a 9-year-old boy who died in a suitcase due to his stepmother’s abuse and a 10-year-old girl who fled to a convenience store after the stepfather’s abuse. Currently, many people’s attention is belatedly being conveyed as Jeong-in’s case has become a trigger. Therefore, there is an urgent need for institutional change, and it is urgent to ensure that adopted children are protected and proper preventive measures should be taken as a result of this incident.

 Numerous cases of child abuse have occurred, but people pay attention only when they are publicized and events are forgotten among people over time. In fact, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of child abuse cases is increasing every year from 6,796 in 2013, 10,027 in 2014, 11,715 in 2015, 18,700 in 2016, 22,367 in 2017 and 24,604 in 2018. These figures show that child abuse is still occurring around us. Three months after the incident, attention is still being paid to it. Jeong-in’s related news was reported on news and current affairs programs.  As a result, not only the entertainment industry but also the political community are voicing criticism over Jeong-in’s case. More than 200,000 signatures have been signed on a national petition, and more than 500,000 memorial posts have been posted on Instagram. Jeong-in’s case has led society to begin to recognize the seriousness of the child abuse problem and take the first step toward solving it. In addition, the government held an emergency meeting of social relations ministers to discuss countermeasures against child abuse. The meeting was convened by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Police Agency. The meeting forced the principle that “the benefits of children must be prioritized” as stipulated in the Special Act on Adoption in all adoption procedures. The government announced that it would make practical protective measures by increasing the number of visits to adoptive families, conducting door-to-door surveys of neighbors and strengthening the assessment of adoption risk index by parents. It also established the “first isolation system” that immediately protects abused children and isolates them from their parents when they receive reports of child abuse.

 The problem of child abuse should be eliminated as soon as possible. Violence and abuse against children should be dealt with more heavily than any other crime. Only then can we keep similar crimes and the perpetrators in check. Considering that violence is often repeated, the government should implement a policy that severely punishes the crime according to the nature of the crime without considering the frequency of violence. Light punishment causes repeated child abuse. The national wish is that there should no longer be children suffering in blind spots of laws and systems. The government and the National Assembly should respond to the appeal of the people and the government should carry out its mission to ensure the safe life of the people, the nation’s primary duty. Besides, because children do not have the ability to protect themselves, adults should pay more attention and protect them. The foundation for properly raised children to become adults and prevent more crimes against children should be established together. After all, children are our future and hope.

75th Cub Reporter•KANG ROK KI•krk1754@naver.com 

75th Cub Reporter•KIM DA HUN•ekq8458@kyonggi.ac.kr