Police open child abuse probe after 16-month-old dies

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Published: 24 Nov. 2025, 13:35

An ambulance is pictured in this undated file photo. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A 16-month-old girl died after being taken to a hospital in an unresponsive state in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, leading the police to open an investigation into suspected child abuse.

Police and fire officials said on Monday that they received a call at 6:42 p.m. on Sunday from a residence in Seondan-dong reporting that “the child stopped breathing while eating.”

Emergency responders found the girl unresponsive and transferred her to a nearby hospital, where she died despite treatment.

Hospital staff alerted police after they discovered multiple marks on the child’s body.

Police said they requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service and are questioning the mother to determine whether abuse occurred and to establish the circumstances leading to the child’s death.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]