Seoul police face scrutiny over twice-closed child death investigation

Controversy is mounting over the Seongbuk Police Station’s decision to close an investigation into the 2019 death of a 44-month-old girl in Seoul for a second time without filing formal charges.

Despite the girl dying from traumatic brain hemorrhage, police concluded that there was no evidence of criminal abuse, accepting family claims that the child, who had an intellectual disability, had engaged in self-harm. However, the National Forensic Service and medical professionals raised suspicions due to bruises, bite marks, and the presence of capsaicin in the child’s blood. The National Forensic Service noted that it was difficult to conclude the capsaicin was self-administered, suggesting abuse could not be ruled out.

Further scrutiny follows reports that the child’s stepmother was recently referred to the prosecution for allegedly abusing the girl’s older sister, including physical violence that resulted in broken teeth. During the second internal investigation, the older sister testified that she witnessed the stepmother feeding the deceased child spicy substances. While the police maintain that the stepmother’s alleged abuse of the sister is a separate matter and that no new evidence links her to the 2019 death, the child’s father has applied for a police investigation review with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.