Netizens mourn the death of a Korean baby who died from child abuse • PhilSTAR Life

Netizens are now enraged and in mourning after a 16-month old Korean baby named Jung In has been revealed to have died of child abuse according to an investigative show.

On January 2, Korean television series Unanswered Questions covered a gruesome story of a 16-month old baby who passed away in October of 2020. In the autopsy, it was revealed that Jung In's cause of death is "damages to the abdomen by an external force." She has suffered severe pancreas damage, broken limbs and collarbones, and blood-filled stomach.

Reports say that since Jung In's adoption at six months old, abuse already started as her parents either left her alone or physically abused her. Other people like her day care teacher and pediatrician noticed signs of abuse like bruises, but their reports were snubbed by the police thrice. It was only when Jung In died that the police started with the investigation.

In a report by Koreaboo, the adoptive parents were said to have "denied the allegations and insisted they have 'nothing to do with the death of Jung In.'" They insisted that they dropped the baby by accident. However, the police found evidence of over 800 videos of Jang "physically and mentally abusing Jung In."

Before the baby's death, the family even appeared on a television show named One Average Family posing as a happy family. Her father Ahn said, "I wanted to show the world that not only celebrities, but also people like us can choose to adopt. Adoption is not something to be ashamed of, but rather something to be celebrated."

Unanswered Questions also reported that "there needs to be a force of 3,800 – 4,200N for a three-year-old child to receive a severity three level of damage to the abdomen." In a series of experiments, a female staff who is of similar wieight and height as Jang tried to drop, step on, and stand on a baby mannequin, which were all less than 2,000N. It was "only when she leaped off the couch and pounced the mannequin, did she reach a number within the predicted range. The force was measured to be 3,869N," said Koreaboo.

While the method of force that caused Jung In's death is still unknown, based on the experiment, it can be concluded that she did suffer a significant amount of physical abuse.

After the episode, viewers and celebrities took to social media to air their frustration over the news, making the hashtag #SorryJungin trend. BTS member Jimin posted on the Weverse app writing “Jungin-ah, I’m sorry” in Korean. Actress Han Chae Ah, Seo Hyo Rim, Hwang In Young also showed support for the online campaign.

Some netizens also petitioned for the parents to be tried in court as murderers, not for child abuse. Police were also criticized for neglecting the child abuse reports.