Corporal punishment of 30 laps on the playground, rhabdomyolysis in elementary school students... Chungju educational facility investigation

Officials at an unauthorized educational facility affiliated with a church are being investigated by the police for subjecting elementary school students to corporal punishment by repeatedly running around the soccer field in the middle of summer, causing them to suffer from rhabdomyolysis.

The Chungbuk Police Agency's Women and Youth Crime Investigation Department announced on the 11th that it is investigating after receiving a complaint from an elementary school student alleging child abuse and serious injury against five people, including teacher A, the principal and vice principal, at an unauthorized educational facility affiliated with a church in Chungju.

Mr. A and others are accused of forcing 17 students, including elementary school student B (11), to run 30 laps of the soccer field at the Seochungju Sports Park soccer field last June.

Group B collapsed at the time and was taken to the emergency room. He was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, which causes muscles to melt, and was treated in the intensive care unit.

It is said that Mr. A imposed this corporal punishment with the approval of the school because Mr. B and others read the Bible out loud only when he was leading the class.

A police official said, “We are verifying the exact facts based on the complaint.”