Boy, 11, dies at Cheonan church where he spent his entire life; three adults investigated for child abuse

Police are investigating three adults who lived with an 11-year-old boy at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on suspicion of fatal child abuse after the boy died there.

The boy, identified only as A, had lived at the church from birth until his death and had never attended school, receiving homeschooling instead, investigators said.

The South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency said Saturday it is examining whether to apply charges including fatal child abuse against the three adults who were present at the church where A lived.

A was rushed to a hospital by emergency services at around 8:49 p.m. Wednesday after he was found at a church in Cheonan with a high fever and reduced consciousness. He died roughly three hours later.

Fire department crews responded after the church reported that a child was ill. A and the three adults were all found at the scene, and the adults are believed to have been living at the church with the boy.

Police have obtained witness testimony that A "was tied to a bed" and are pressing the adults on whether abuse took place.

The National Forensic Service, which conducted an autopsy on A's body, delivered a preliminary verbal finding that no unusual injuries such as fractures were detected. Full forensic results are expected in three to four weeks.

Investigators confirmed that A had spent his entire life — from birth to death — at the church.

He never attended school and was homeschooled. His maternal grandmother and others are said to have visited the church intermittently.

"The circumstances under which he came to live at the church from an early age, and the specific reasons for homeschooling, relate to private family matters and are difficult to disclose," a police official said.