A complainant who was referred to prosecutors on false accusation charges after reporting a spouse for child abuse during divorce proceedings has been cleared through a supplementary investigation by the prosecution.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Senior Prosecutor Shin Do-wook) announced on the 6th that it had issued a "no charges" ruling after conducting a supplementary investigation into the case, in which police had referred the complainant on false accusation charges for reporting that the spouse committed child abuse between May and August 2022 during divorce proceedings.
In this case, prosecutors had initially determined that false accusation charges against the complainant would be difficult to establish when they declined to indict in the child abuse case. Nevertheless, police referred the complainant on false accusation charges.
The prosecution explained that the complainant had persistently appealed their innocence and requested direct investigation from the time of referral. Prosecutors confirmed through their own direct questioning and a thorough review of the entire case file that the complainant's claims were consistent throughout.
Prosecutors also found strong credibility in the complainant's claims based on several pieces of evidence. Hospital outpatient medical records from August 2022 contained entries noting suspected signs of child abuse. Additionally, a family court investigator's report revealed that the spouse had stated around May 2022, "I heard that spraying water on a child removes their fear, so I tried it."
"We will exercise our supplementary investigative authority appropriately to listen to the voices of suspects who appeal their innocence during investigations, thereby protecting human rights," the prosecution emphasized.