Pastor branded child in her care a demon, days before he died of abuse
The 11-year-old boy who died last month at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, was found to have been subject to severe abuse by his pastor, who reportedly publicly called him "a demon" while keeping him bound to a bed.
A local broadcaster SBS on Saturday aired a detailed report about the case, in which a 62-year-old pastor and the boy's grandmother are being investigated for child abuse leading to death.
The broadcaster reported that the boy was entrusted to the pastor's care from a very young age, following her like his own mother. But witnesses testified that the child had bruises all over his body when he visited a local store, three days before his eventual death.
The authorities found the boy in critical condition on Aug. 5, and he died hours later due to multiple organ failure. They believe his death was caused by beatings, severe malnutrition and being bound to a bed for 38 hours.
A doctor who saw the boy said he had bruises in unusual places, and said he was wearing a diaper.
The church told media that they had no choice but to tie the boy to a bed, saying he would otherwise leave and cause trouble.
But several members of the church testified that he was a quiet boy who made no trouble during church services.
One member said the pastor mentioned the boy during a sermon, saying he was a demon for reporting her to the police.
But the police did not find evidence that would require immediate separation from the suspects.
Police eventually asked the court for a separation order on Aug. 4, but it was rejected the next day.
https://m.koreaherald.com/article/10863857
The 11-year-old boy who died last month at a church in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, was found to have been subject to severe abuse by his pastor, who reportedly publicly called him "a demon" while keeping him bound to a bed.
A local broadcaster SBS on Saturday aired a detailed report about the case, in which a 62-year-old pastor and the boy's grandmother are being investigated for child abuse leading to death.
The broadcaster reported that the boy was entrusted to the pastor's care from a very young age, following her like his own mother. But witnesses testified that the child had bruises all over his body when he visited a local store, three days before his eventual death.
The authorities found the boy in critical condition on Aug. 5, and he died hours later due to multiple organ failure. They believe his death was caused by beatings, severe malnutrition and being bound to a bed for 38 hours.
A doctor who saw the boy said he had bruises in unusual places, and said he was wearing a diaper.
The church told media that they had no choice but to tie the boy to a bed, saying he would otherwise leave and cause trouble.
But several members of the church testified that he was a quiet boy who made no trouble during church services.
One member said the pastor mentioned the boy during a sermon, saying he was a demon for reporting her to the police.
But the police did not find evidence that would require immediate separation from the suspects.
Police eventually asked the court for a separation order on Aug. 4, but it was rejected the next day.
https://m.koreaherald.com/article/10863857
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
