A shocking incident in Daejeon, South Korea, has left a community in mourning after a seven-year-old girl was fatally stabbed during an afterschool care program. Police confirmed on Tuesday that a female elementary school teacher admitted to attacking the child, who later succumbed to her injuries.
According to an Al Jazeera report, authorities revealed that the teacher, reportedly in her 40s, had recently returned to work after a leave of absence due to health concerns. She has been undergoing treatment for depression since 2018, according to Yuk Jong-myeong, chief of Daejeon’s western district police station. Currently hospitalized for self-inflicted injuries, the teacher has not yet been formally arrested as investigations continue.
The young victim, a student at the same school, was discovered with severe stab wounds to her neck and face. Her grandmother found her critically injured, and emergency responders rushed her to the hospital, where she later died.
The case has sent shockwaves across South Korea, prompting acting President Choi Sang-mok to express his condolences and direct the Ministry of Education and law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation. Officials have not yet determined if the teacher and the victim had any prior connection.
