Court clears charges for welfare worker acused of abusing disabled child

A 63-year-old welfare worker who applied a form of corporal punishment on a 11-year-old child with A brain disorder was cleared by the Supreme Court of criminal charges, after it ruled the actions were a form of discipline and not abuse.

South Korea's top court upheld a lower court ruling that said the defendant was not to be punished for child abuse. The appellate court had said while the defendant's actions could be said to be excessive, it appeared to be in the interest of the child.

The incident occurred in March of 2022 when the defendant quarreled with the child for refusing to go to a speech therapy center. After the child lied down on the floor in protest and pinched the defendant, the defendant hit the child three times on the hand and dragged the child by the legs.

A district court found the defendant guilty and assessed a 3 million won ($2,100) fine, but the verdict was overturned in an appellate court.

"The defendant had cared for the child for five years, during which the defendant used many methods when the child was being stubborn," the appellate court said in its verdict, saying that allowing the child to skip therapy would not have been beneficial.