Police failure to forward child abuse complaint to prosecutors sparks questions in South Gyeongsang
Published: 22 Feb. 2026, 15:19
![The Geochang Police Precinct in South Gyeongsang [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/22/748c758c-969d-44d0-b7b5-adc22b2f9365.jpg)
The Geochang Police Precinct in South Gyeongsang [JOONGANG ILBO]
Police in South Gyeongsang failed to forward a child abuse complaint to prosecutors as required by law and instead issued a notice of non-referral, with a police officer even allegedly visiting the complainant’s home to ask for “understanding” for the decision.
The case stems from a complaint filed in July last year by a parent of an elementary school student against the parents of their child’s classmates, according to Geochang Police Precinct in South Gyeongsang on Saturday. The complaint alleged that the other parents spread defamatory rumors about the child of the complainant.
The complainant said their daughter had been bullied by classmates at the same elementary school since 2024, when she was in the third grade.
Classmates wrote insults about the child on a desk and cut up her library card, among other forms of harassment, according to the parent. The parent said their child was later diagnosed with depression and adjustment disorder at a psychiatric clinic early last year.
While addressing the alleged school violence, the parent filed a complaint against the parents of a student identified as an aggressor on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act. The parent argued that defamatory rumors were spread after the school was notified of the alleged bullying.
In December, about six months after receiving the complaint, Geochang Police Precinct notified the complainant that the case would not be referred to prosecutors. Police cited insufficient evidence.
Under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, child abuse cases must always be forwarded to prosecutors. Despite this provision, the precinct issued a non-referral notice.
![A notice of non-referral sent to a complainant by the Geochang Police Precinct in South Gyeongsang [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/22/e1e79681-7516-4535-9a31-f7c2d49e7a5b.jpg)
A notice of non-referral sent to a complainant by the Geochang Police Precinct in South Gyeongsang [JOONGANG ILBO]
The police response afterward also showed incompetence. The complainant, the parent of the child who was allegedly bullied, protested that a non-referral notice was improper in a case subject to mandatory referral. The complainant alleged that officers from the Geochang precinct visited their home and asked for “understanding.”
Questions were also raised about the station’s explanation. In January, the complainant requested disclosure of the written grounds for the non-referral decision. The station responded that “no such document exists.”
Police said the written statement of reasons, which normally accompanies a non-referral decision, had not been prepared.
At the complainant’s request, the case was reassigned to the South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency. The provincial agency has begun a direct investigation.
![The South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency [JOONGANG IBLO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/22/754b3be8-23a1-4449-9844-f2ddb64fea30.jpg)
The South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency [JOONGANG IBLO]
While the provincial agency acknowledged that child abuse cases are, in principle, subject to mandatory referral to prosecutors, it did not provide a detailed explanation for why the Geochang precinct issued a non-referral notice.
“The Geochang Police Precinct had not concluded the investigation, but the complainant objected, saying it did not align with their view, so we are reinvestigating the case,” an official from the provincial police agency said. “Legally, child abuse cases must always be referred.”
When asked why a non-referral notice was sent if the investigation had not been concluded, the official said, “We do not know what judgment the Geochang precinct made.”
The complainant’s attorney disputed the handling of the case.
“If there was insufficient evidence to prove the charges, the case should have been referred with an opinion of no indictment,” the attorney said. “A non-referral makes no procedural sense.”
The complainant said legal action against the police officials involved is under consideration.
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 KIM CHANG-YONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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