Government's 3-Year-Old Safety Checks Found to Have Loopholes

Gaps in the child protection network within families have been revealed, as a child already deceased was recorded as 'safely protected' during government inspections to verify the whereabouts and safety of three-year-olds not attending daycare.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted a comprehensive survey in October 2021 targeting over 21,000 three-year-olds being raised at home. This was part of a measure introduced to prevent child abuse.

At the time of the survey, a public official from the community center reported that the target child was confirmed to be outside the home with their mother, classifying the child as 'no specific issues.' However, the child was presumed to have died in February 2020, prior to the survey.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that all cases were confirmed safe, with the exception of four suspected child abuse cases identified in the survey. Gong Hye-jeong, head of the Child Abuse Prevention Association, suggested the need for preventive measures such as unannounced visits for confirmation. The police are currently investigating whether the visit at the time was conducted properly.