A 11-year-old boy who was found dead at a church in Cheonan has been ruled as a victim of abuse that led to death. The boy's maternal grandmother, who is believed to have been responsible for the abuse, is to appear before a judge for review of her detention.

In a church in Chungcheongnam-do's Chungju, an 11-year-old child tragically succumbed to injuries after being allegedly abused and neglected by their step-grandmother. The grandmother faced a court appearance on the matter. On November 11th, at 10:30 AM, the legal representative arrived at the courtroom, and the grandmother entered without offering any response to the prosecutor's questions.

These included whether she acknowledged the abuse allegations, why the child was left alone at the church, any prior penalties she had received for abuse, and if she had expressed remorse. The grandmother had been raising her step-grandchild in Chungju. The child, who was 11 years old, passed away on November 5th due to high fever and tremors, leading to their admission to the Chung-Ang Chung-Ang University Hospital.

However, despite emergency services arriving, the child succumbed to their injuries. The ambulance noted the presence of bruises on the child's wrists and ankles, which the hospital also observed. Throughout the time the child lived at the church, there were four previous reports of child abuse suspicion: one in January 2021 related to academics, and three in 2024 and August 2026, all of which accused the grandmother of abuse.

Two reports on March 2nd and 3rd led to the child being taken to the police by concerned residents and a restaurant worker, who described the child's appearance as suspicious. The child also told the police, "My grandmother hits me," indicating abuse. The police allowed the grandmother to approach the child at the church, but the court denied this request, deeming it unnecessary, on November 5th. The child ultimately passed away on the same day.