The biological father was arrested in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, after a 3-year-old sustained head and other injuries and fell into a coma.
On the 12th, the Uijeongbu District Court issued an arrest warrant for A, a man in his 20s, on suspicion of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act, citing concerns he might flee or destroy evidence.
Earlier, at about 6:44 p.m. on the 9th, emergency responders received a report from an apartment in Okjeong-dong, Yangju, that a child was crying and having seizures. The guardian told firefighters they had heard a thud and found the child convulsing.
The hospital treating the injured boy, identified as B, notified police at about 9:30 p.m. the same day, reporting suspected child abuse and head trauma. B underwent brain surgery and remains unconscious and in critical condition.
Police said they reviewed the hospital’s assessment, the guardian’s statements and prior reports, and found signs consistent with child abuse. Both the father and mother were detained in the emergency room. After forensic analysis of mobile phones revealed some indications of abuse, authorities applied for an arrest warrant for the father, A. Officials said the forensic findings do not appear to be directly linked to B’s head injuries.
Last December, police also received a report alleging abuse of B, but prosecutors declined to indict. Authorities said they found no objective evidence suggesting severe abuse at that time, and the local child protection office likewise concluded it could not confirm abuse.
Officials added that, based on specialist medical evaluations and their investigation, police had forwarded the earlier case to prosecutors with a recommendation not to indict, and prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue charges.
