A request has been filed to review whether police made an appropriate decision seven years ago when they closed a case at the pre-booking inquiry stage into the death of a 44-month-old girl in Seongbuk District, Seoul.
According to Yonhap News on the 13th, the deceased child A's father, B, applied for an investigation review at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 7th. An investigation review is a procedure that parties to a case, such as complainants or accusers, can request if they believe the investigation process or outcome was unfair or unlawful.
Child A suffered an emergency at home in Seongbuk District in June 2019 and was taken to a hospital, where she died. According to the autopsy report by the National Forensic Service, her cause of death was presumed to be head injury, and multiple bruises and subcutaneous hemorrhages were found across her body, including the head, torso, arms, and legs.
After an internal inquiry, police closed the case in April this year with a disposition of "no suspicion." However, B applied for an investigation review, saying it was inappropriate for police to handle it as an unattended death without formally booking a suspect, even though A had bruises and injuries all over her body that led emergency room medical staff to suspect child abuse.
There is also testimony from A's older sister that the stepmother fed A hot sauce and other spicy sauces as punishment, and the National Forensic Service reportedly detected capsaicin in A's blood in its autopsy.
The National Forensic Service wrote in the autopsy report that "although it cannot be considered related to the cause of death, it is presumed that a considerable amount of capsaicin was ingested," adding, "there is a question as to whether A consumed it on her own."
B is said to believe a formal investigation is necessary to determine how A ingested the spicy sauce and to identify the cause of the head injury and other bodily trauma.
If B's request for an investigation review is deemed appropriate, a review committee with outside experts such as lawyers and legal scholars will convene. Through the review, directives such as "supplemental or reinvestigation," "expedited handling," and "department or agency transfer or reassignment" may be issued. While the review committee's decision is not binding, it is difficult for police to refuse without a justifiable reason.