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‘That older girl hit me’: 10-year-old assaulted in elevator over ice cream refusal

Published: 15 May. 2025, 11:11

A woman in her 20s appears to assault a 10-year-old girl inside an elevator, as seen in footage aired by JTBC’s current affairs program “Crime Chief” on May 14. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A woman in her 20s with an intellectual disability allegedly assaulted a 10-year-old girl inside an apartment elevator in Naju, South Jeolla, after the child reportedly refused to give her ice cream.

According to a report aired on JTBC’s current affairs program “Crime Chief” on Wednesday, the victim, a third-grade elementary school student, had entered the elevator after leaving her after-school academy.

Also present were a boy and the suspect, who began attacking the victim after the boy left the elevator.

CCTV footage from inside the elevator captured the suspect lifting the victim and throwing her to the floor as soon as the doors closed, then punching and kicking her repeatedly.

When the elevator doors opened, the victim tried to flee, but the suspect grabbed her by the hair and threw her back down. The victim remained on the ground, unable to stand for some time.

“She came home in tears, trembling,” said the victim’s mother. “I opened the door and saw the suspect standing right outside. When I said, ‘Hey, who are you?’ she finally ran off.”

It wasn’t until the front door had been securely locked that the child began sobbing and said, “That older girl hit me,” according to the mother.

The victim was diagnosed with injuries requiring two weeks of recovery. She suffered bruises across her body, burst blood vessels in her face and hair loss so severe that patches of her scalp were visible. She has since been suffering from pain and anxiety and has been unable to attend school.

The child’s parents said the suspect had previously approached their daughter and her friends at a playground, demanding ice cream. The children had refused, and the suspect apparently remembered the incident, attacking the victim when she later recognized her.

After the incident, the parents visited the suspect's father to inform him of the assault. According to the parents, he responded with hostility, saying, “I can’t live with her either. Do you think she would’ve been sent to juvenile detention last year if she wasn’t so severely disabled that even they didn’t want her? I can’t handle her anymore. She needs to be institutionalized. I’ve given up.”

He also said that his wife had been assaulted by their daughter.

The suspect's family had reportedly moved to the current apartment after similar incidents at a previous residence. Despite attempts to admit her to medical institutions, the suspect has repeatedly been discharged within days.

The suspect is currently hospitalized following a complaint filed by the victim’s parents. The parents have expressed fear about continuing to live in the same building, saying “We are terrified of encountering her again. We need safeguards so our daughter can return to her daily life.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]