Teacher admits to stabbing 7-year-old girl to death at school in Daejeon
Published: 11 Feb. 2025, 00:59
Updated: 11 Feb. 2025, 19:16
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- SARAH KIM
- [email protected]
![Police conduct an on-site inspection in the audiovisual room on the second floor of an elementary school in Daejeon after a teacher in her 40s stabbed to death a 7-year-old girl on Feb. 10. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/11/e44688e7-15d0-4bdf-9fd6-b4af0a945e2d.jpg)
Police conduct an on-site inspection in the audiovisual room on the second floor of an elementary school in Daejeon after a teacher in her 40s stabbed to death a 7-year-old girl on Feb. 10. [YONHAP]
A teacher in her 40s stabbed to death a 7-year-old girl at an elementary school in Daejeon on Monday.
Daejeon police found the first-grade student and teacher with stab wounds on the second floor of the elementary school building in Seo District at around 6 p.m.
The student's parents earlier reported that the girl went missing following her after-school class.
Police said that the girl was found unconscious and transferred to a nearby hospital. She was later pronounced dead.
Her family said the child was severely wounded with multiple stab marks on one side of her body when she was found.
The teacher was found nearby with stab wounds to the neck and arm and was reportedly conscious.
Police said the teacher admitted to the crime at around 9 p.m. and opened an investigation naming her as the main suspect.
According to police, the teacher appears to have inflicted the knife injuries on herself after stabbing the child, and there is currently no danger to her life. The teacher underwent surgery for her wounds.
Police said that the suspect had been a full-time teacher who had taken a leave of absence due to depression. She returned to teaching late last year. The teacher reportedly didn't have any known relationship with the child.
![Police stand guard at an elementary school in Daejeon after a teacher stabbed an first-grade student on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/11/ed1f3ba1-c69b-41b5-a505-11d5726b45bc.jpg)
Police stand guard at an elementary school in Daejeon after a teacher stabbed an first-grade student on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]
The girl had attended the after-school class, in which the school provides child care services for students after regular classes end, before she had been scheduled to go to an art class at a hagwon, or private academy, at 4:40 p.m.
Her parent was notified by the private art academy that the student hadn't shown up and reported the child as missing at around 5:18 p.m.
Her school also reported to police at 5:50 p.m. that someone was trapped in the school's audiovisual room on the second floor of the building.
Police were dispatched to the school and found two people on the floor of the audiovisual room.
Police said they plan to investigate the teacher's exact motivations and the circumstances of the crime once she recovers from her surgery.
![A person pays respects at the gates of an elementary school in Seo District, Daejeon, where a 7-year-old student was stabbed to death by a teacher the previous day. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/11/2e0cd36f-3597-4bed-b60c-c9274b557bca.jpg)
A person pays respects at the gates of an elementary school in Seo District, Daejeon, where a 7-year-old student was stabbed to death by a teacher the previous day. [NEWS1]
Police said Tuesday that the teacher exhibited signs of aggressive behavior at school just days before Monday's incident.
Last Thursday, the teacher was found curled up at her seat. When another teacher approached to check on her, she reportedly twisted the teacher's arm. Other staff members had to intervene to break up the altercation.
Update, Feb. 11: Details about the teacher's recent conduct added.
Update, Feb. 11: Student's age was confirmed as 7, not 8, because her birthday has not passed yet.
BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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