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Court suspends punishment for teacher who forced child's head into meal tray

Published: 20 May. 2025, 09:37 Updated: 21 May. 2025, 14:20

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A 27-year-old day care teacher who forced a five-year-old child's head into a meal tray for not eating properly has had their fine suspended.

The Incheon District Court said Tuesday that it has suspended the 7 million won ($5,000) fine imposed on the teacher for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.

A suspended sentence or fine means that the imposition of the punishment is delayed for a certain period, and if the defendant does not reoffend within two years, the conviction is essentially nullified.

The teacher was indicted on charges of physically abusing a five-year-old girl on four occasions between Nov. 30 and Dec. 14 in 2023 while working at a day care center in Jung District, Incheon.

According to the investigation, the teacher grabbed the child and pressed her head into a meal tray, allegedly due to the child’s poor eating habits. The teacher also attempted to force food into the child’s mouth and struck the child’s neck for the same reason.

The court acknowledged the teacher’s actions as abuse but considered mitigating factors, including the circumstances surrounding the incidents and the stance of the victim's family on the matter, in granting leniency. The teacher was not ordered to complete a child abuse treatment program or restricted from working in child-related institutions.

“The defendant admitted to most of the wrongdoing, is remorseful and has vowed not to reoffend,” the court said. “This incident arose during an attempt to discipline a particularly picky eater, and there are circumstances that merit consideration in terms of how the offense occurred.”

The judge added, “The defendant reached a settlement with the child’s legal guardian, who has expressed no desire for punishment. The teacher also has no prior criminal record and had worked diligently as a day care teacher before this incident.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE JI-YOUNG [[email protected]]