Calls growing for better child protection

Children and members of the Korea Association of the Community Child Centers call on the government to expand childcare facilities and services, especially for children who are often left alone, during a rally in Seoul, Thursday. (Photo : Yonhap)

The killing of a schoolgirl in Tongyeong by a convicted sex offender has triggered calls to enhance childcare facilities, especially for children living with working parents in rural areas.

The 10-year-old victim, Han A-reum, is known to have often missed meals because her father and older brother had to work. She was frequently seen playing alone by neighbors after returning from school.

Her father, a construction worker, divorced when she was two. He remarried, but her stepmother ran away from home earlier this year.

There are five child protection centers in Tongyeong, but Han couldn’t receive care because they are located in the downtown area, about 10 kilometers from her home.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there are some 3,900 child protection centers nationwide but most of them suffer from a shortage of staff and funding.

Moreover, most childcare facilities are located in cities, so minors in rural areas can’t receive protection, ministry officials said.

Experts say the government should initiate public nursery and after-school programs in rural areas so that children are cared for and protected while their parents work.

“Building more childcare facilities is an investment into the country’s future. We should take note of the fact that many children are victimized in their own neighborhoods or schools,” said Jang Hwa-jung, head of the National Child Protection Agency. “The basis of protection should be harsh punishment against abusers and building better protective systems.”

The ministry said, of the 3,900 child protection centers, some 3,500 receive state subsidies. Four million won ($3,480) is provided to each of the centers every month. Many centers are now operated by volunteers due to a lack of staff.

“The subsidies are just to feed children. Under such circumstances, it’s almost impossible to provide services to those living in rural areas,” Jang said.

According to a joint study by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Korean Institute of Criminology, sex crimes against minors have grown rapidly here over the past years. In 2008, 8.6 sex crimes against minors were reported per every 100,000 people in Korea, compared to 6.2 cases in the United States, 5.1 in Britain and 1 in Germany.

“It is important to learn from other countries with more advanced child protective systems,” said Kim Ae-ni, an official from Seoul National Hospital involved in research on child abuse. “The first thing to do is to revamp child protection laws and regulations so that sex offenders against minors receive strong punishment. We should also build a better protective system, in which every child in need can receive care.” <The Korea Times/Na Jeong-ju>

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