The broadcast of SBS's "Unanswered Questions" on the 29th investigated the truth behind the sudden death of a 44-month-old child.
On June 28, 2019, 44-month-old Su-a was rushed to the emergency room. After an initial emergency call was made to 119 over suspected febrile seizures, Su-a's condition appeared to improve. However, a second call was made reporting that the child was not breathing, and she ultimately passed away after being transported to the hospital.
The cause of death was determined to be head trauma, with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage identified. At the time, medical staff discovered dozens of bruises and wounds across Su-a's body that appeared to have been caused by external force, raising suspicions of abuse.
However, the police closed the internal investigation, stating that no situations involving abuse or harsh treatment were found. They reached this conclusion because there was insufficient evidence to definitively link the child's injuries to physical assault by someone else, while circumstances suggested they could have been caused by self-harm.
Regarding Su-a, who had been diagnosed with level 3 intellectual disabilities, family members described her as being "possessed by a ghost" and stated that she had been living at her great-aunt's house due to abnormal behaviors such as showing aggressive tendencies toward family members and engaging in self-harm. Ultimately, this led to her death.
After Su-a's death, however, her older sister Subin, who was 5 years old at the time, also began exhibiting unusual behaviors similar to those shown by Su-a. Subin became an issue by displaying aggression, such as cursing at her parents and threatening them with a knife. These symptoms have reportedly disappeared now, 6 years later.
Yet Subin made a shocking confession: at the time, her stepmother had whispered instructions for abnormal behaviors to her in her ear. She also stated that her stepmother whispered to her younger sister Su-a as well, and that Su-a always engaged in unusual behavior afterward.
However, the sisters' stepmother claimed that allegations of child abuse were completely groundless and that everything was a lie made up by Subin.
The sisters' father had started a relationship with Park, a junior from his university, in 2017 after parting ways with his ex-wife. The two later remarried and enjoyed a happy daily life. But this happiness did not last long due to Su-a's unusual behavior.
When Su-a was alive, the stepmother treated Subin kindly. After Su-a passed away, however, the stepmother instructed Subin to engage in unusual actions, telling her to "curse at dad" or "spit on dad." These instructions were given through whispers almost every day, and whenever Subin stopped acting out, another whisper would make her resume the outbursts.
Subin's shocking testimony did not end there. She stated that at the time, whenever Subin spoke to her mother using formal language, the stepmother would snap her fingers one by one. She was also instructed to tell her father that she was injured at a taekwondo academy.
Meanwhile, Subin's maternal aunt by marriage dismissed the claims, stating, "These behaviors happened because of ADHD. She is a child who needs treatment. They are sisters with problems," pointing the finger at the children.
The aunt by marriage also delivered the shocking news that Subin had tried to stab her stepmother with a knife. In contrast, Subin claimed that the stepmother beat her and broke her teeth out of annoyance, and from then on deprived her of sleep and kept her locked up. She also alleged that her limbs were tied backward to prevent her from coming out when she tried to open the door.
With her father abroad at the time, Subin had no one to turn to for help. Subin stated that the stepmother gave her leftover cold rice or sometimes no food at all, intentionally fed her spicy food, and withheld water. She also mentioned that the master bedroom bathroom door was locked, leading to accidents, and when accidents happened, she was even made to eat her own excrement.
Subin stated that she ultimately picked up a knife against her mother because she was struggling so much.
In response, an expert noted, "There is a possibility of contamination in the testimony. However, it is difficult to view the entire testimony as false. If she had tried to fabricate it, the testimony would have been smoother." The expert also emphasized the importance of Subin's testimony, adding, "When abuse against the first child is recognized, it provides sufficient grounds to suspect the possibility of abuse against the second child in succession."
Currently, Subin says she does not remember anything about Su-a's death. However, Subin's testimony at the Sunflower Center after Su-a's passing was sheer shock.
Upon bringing up Su-a, Subin started with a sigh. Subin stated that she went to the United States because of Su-a's unusual behavior, and that the stepmother sent Su-a to her great-aunt's house, telling her that she "needed to receive some training."
Subin recalled, "If she wasn't polite, the great-aunt became as terrifying as a ghost. She was beaten even when she dropped heavy books and they touched her head, or if any noise was made. She was beaten with a shoehorn and also fed spicy food. She was fed hot sauce for not listening. Mom fed her spoonfuls of it, and Su-a suffered."
Subin also testified about the circumstances at the time of Su-a's death, saying, "Su-a collapsed because she was sick. Her eyes really rolled back. The aunt by marriage came and called 119, but suddenly canceled the 119 call. Then suddenly 119 came again. And that was it."
An expert expressed regret, noting, "She answers follow-up questions about being fed spicy food and about 119, and these cannot be seen as testimonies created solely by a child's imagination. It would have been good if there had been two or three investigation attempts at the time."
Capsaicin components were detected in Su-a's body at the time of her death. An expert pointed out, "The level is higher than what would be found if a healthy adult ate a lot of it. A large amount of capsaicin must have entered her body within a short period of time before her death."
Additionally, attention was drawn when it was suggested that Su-a might not have actually had an intellectual disability.
An expert explained, "When a child who was developing normally experiences developmental regression, an underlying condition is usually suspected. However, tests revealed that there was no underlying condition."
The expert continued, expressing regret: "Maintaining a calm state followed by abnormal behavior is called acting out, and the triggering factor is a trigger point. The parents failed to control the factors that caused the self-harm behavior."
The expert also added that while the wounds on the child's body could have resulted from self-harm, circumstances of abuse cannot be ruled out when analyzing the locations of Su-a's injuries.
Furthermore, the expert stated, "There is a CBCL test that checks a child's toddler behavior, which is conducted by the mother. However, the score for Su-a's test conducted by her stepmother was 100. This is a cry from the caregiver raising her saying she is dying of distress. It makes one suspect the mother's depression."
Through reporting, the production team was also able to hear about circumstances suggesting the stepmother's abuse from the caregiver and daycare teachers who looked after the child at the time.
The stepmother constantly filmed Su-a's unusual behavior and uploaded it to social media. Regarding this, an expert pointed out the possibility of Munchausen syndrome by proxy in the stepmother's case, explaining, "Munchausen syndrome involves inducing illness in oneself and going to the hospital for treatment, whereas the stepmother appears to have a desire to make the child sick so she can become an angel in a white coat taking care of a sick child."
The expert added, "She is using social media for psychological satisfaction, portraying herself as a kind stepmother taking care of the child instead of the birth mother who left an abnormal child behind."
Finally, Subin expressed deep sorrow, saying, "I originally intended to drop things like lawsuits if mom sincerely reflected and apologized. I hope mom receives punishment. If she has to go to prison, she should go, and I hope she reflects on her actions."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.