CSEC News in East Asia and Pacific
(15 February – 6 March 2010)
Sexual Exploitation of Children
Vice Dean of a temple arrested for buying sex from boys (no web-link)
THAILAND, Karasin province: police arrested a monk, 52 years old who was a Vice Dean of the temple and had been in a monkhood for 28 years. After receiving a report on the inappropriate behaviour of the monk, the police sent a decoy to go into the temple with other boys who were in prostitution. The monk confessed that he bought sex services from boys for many times by contacting them through telephone and paid them 200-500 baht each time.
Kao Sod, 05 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Street children increased; boys commercially sexually exploited than girls (no web-link)
THAILAND: Recent research on ‘Assistance for Street Children: Case Study on Street Teacher and Children Home (Shelter)’, conducted by the Foundation for the Better Life of Children during October 2009 – March 2010 in 5 GOs and 10 NGOs in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nakorn Ratchasima, Khon Khen, Udon Thani, Chonburi, Sakaew, Phuket, Songkla and Bangkok, found an increase of numbers of street children from 10,000 – 20,000 street children in the past one to two years to 30,000 street children. Most of street children are at the age of 14-24 years old and did not receive the government educational policy of the 15 years free education. Most of street children who do not have families to go back to are at high risk as they are being pushed into prostitution for survival, mainly boy street children. Besides, the research found that in the past three years, some groups of street children are not living on the street but jointly stayed together in a rented house. This may due to their engagement in prostitution that requires them to have a clean and good appearance. It is also found some street children stay together as a couple and have a child together, which result them to become street families and are used by criminals in their activities, e.g. selling drugs, selling illegal CDs.
Source: www.pitakthai.com, 02 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested transvestite for procuring high school and college/university students for sexual purposes (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pichid province: Police arrested a 32 years old transvestite who was one of big agents procuring especially junior high school, college and university students for sex services for customers who mostly were local government officials, politicians and businessmen. The transvestite already procured over 100 of the girls and would deliver them at a motel owned by a local politician located in Muang district, Pichid province. The girls would receive 1,000 baht while the transvestite would receive 500baht per girl. Police would also investigate further to arrest the buyers.
Kao Sod, 23 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Almost 100 street kids victims of sexual and physical abuse (no web-link)
INDONESIA: Following the recent uproar over a brace of child sex abuse and mutilation cases, the Jakarta Social Services Agency initiated last month an assessment program to identify the social background of the city's street children and determine potential sexual abuse victims. The Agency announced that it had completed assessing the city's street children, claiming it had collected almost 100 reports of sexual and economic exploitation. "As of *Thursday*, 96 children reported that they were victims of serious sexual and physical abuse," agency head Budihardjo said. "Some children even said they had been recruited and then economically exploited by an organized foundation." Budihardjo said his agency was currently coordinating with the city police to follow up reports. "If the police find enough evidence during the investigation, we will ensure that adults *who committed abuse* are sent to prison," he said.
The Jakarta Post, 17 February 2010
Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purpose
Arrested Thai and Laotian men for sexual exploitation of Laotian women in Thailand (no web-link)
THAILAND, Nongkai province: Two Thai men and two Laotian men were arrested for procuring 18 Laotian women, aged between 17-25 years old. The women were procured for providing sex services in brothels close to the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, Nongkai province.
Manager Online, 24 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested man aged 64 and woman aged 56 for trafficking of Laotian girl aged 14 for sexual purposes (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pichid province: police received a report of a missing Laotian girl aged 14 years old. According to the police investigation, the girl was lured into work in a karaoke owned by the 56 years old Thai woman. Then, she was sold further to another karaoke owned by the 64 years old Thai man for the price of 5,000 baht.
Kao Sod, 22 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested 18 years old girl procuring girls below 18 for sex services (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: Following a police investigation on prostitution and human trafficking in Pattaya, the police went on an undercover operation and arrested a 18 years old girl for trafficking of girls below 18 for sexual purposes. The 18 years old confessed that she had been procuring girls for sex services for many years. The customers were only Thai regular customers or those who were known to her. She had about 10 girls under her operation, most of them did not go to school. She would receive 500 baht per girl while the girls themselves would receive 1,000 baht.
Kom Chad Luk, 21 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Sexual Exploitation of Children through ICT
Several pornographic video clips found stored in teenager’s handphone
MALAYSIA, BESUT: A 14-year-old schoolgirl admitted that she was addicted to kinky sex acts such as bondage after frequently watching pornographic video clips downloaded from a website that allegedly provides content of locals engaging in such acts. The report was lodged after her parents found out about her sexual escapades, which led her to claim that she had been raped. Besut OCPD Supt Kamaruddin Mohd Zakaria said yesterday that several pornographic video clips were found stored in the teenager's handphone during the probe. "We found out that the latest trend is to watch pornographic clips and imitate the act," he said. "We ask parents to keep tabs on their children by frequently checking the type of video clips stored in their handphones."
Asiaone News (source: The Star/Asia News Network), 6 March 2010
Swimming coach jailed for sex acts with boys
SINGAPORE: A swimming coach in Singapore sexually exploited his six-year-old student during their lessons together and also paid a nine-year-old boy to perform sex acts on him. In September 2008, merely three months after a man, 34, a father of two young boys, was hired to coach his student at a condominium pool, he instructed, befriended and tricked six and nine years old boys into performing a sex act on on him for S$5 (RM12) and filmed the act using his cellphone camera.
Dailychilli (source: Straits Times/ANN), 6 March 2010
Girl known through internet was lured into sexual exploitation through a false promise for acting career (no web-link)
HONG KONG: An actor was jailed for seven years for sexually abuse 15 years old girl. The actor gave a false promise to numbers of girls he met through internet that he could help get them into an acting career. He asked the girls who were interested to come to see him for a photo shooting and filling in an application form. A 15 years old girl was one of girls who decided to meet him in July last year. On the meeting, she was lured to go to a motel and sexually abused. After the abuse, the girl was in trauma and high level of depression which led her into commit suicide.
Manager Online, 05 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Chatroom lured a 15 years old girl to run away from home (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: 29 years old man from a northern province (Loei province) acquainted himself with a 15 years old girl who lived in an eastern province (Nakornsawan province) through Chat Kue Kue for one month, then arranged to meet a girl in her homeland. After the meeting, on the 26th February, the girl went missing from home with a computer notebook and a digital camera stolen from the girl’s home. The girl went to Bangkok with a man, stayed for a night in a hotel and pawned the girl’s notebook computer and digital camera. After that, they went and rented an apartment in Pattaya planning to find a job here but were arrested by the police. The girl’s father said that usually the girl was a good girl who received good grades from school. Recently before the girl went missing, the girl tended to stay with computer a lot and suddenly went missing from home.
Source: www.pattayadailynews.com, 04 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested 25 years old man lured girls into sexual exploitation through Hi5 (no web-link)
THAILAND, Bangkok: following a tip-off to the police that numbers of girls studying in a school at junior high school level went missing from home as they were lured into sexual exploitation by a man through Hi5, the police launched their investigation and arrested a 25 years old man who was waiting for a girl at Jatujak Park. The man was charged for luring minors below 15 from their parents for sexual exploitation.
Manager Online, 04 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Pornographic magazine led 14 years old boy to lure 6 years old girl into sexual abuse (no web-link)
THAILAND: on 28 February 2010, police interviewed a 14 years old boy who worked as a waiter in a restaurant in the same area where a 6 year old girl lived. The boy confessed that after looking at a pornographic magazine he borrowed from a friend, he lured the girl who played in front of the house nearby to come and watch a movie in his house. He then used forces and sexually abused her, and threatened her not to tell anyone about the abuse. However, the abuse was revealed as the girl’s grandma noticed the girl was unusually depressed and asked her until she had to tell the cause of her depression.
Manager Online, 01 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Movie Director charged for attempt to sexually abuse 14 years old girl known through internet (web-link in Thai language)
SOUTH KOREA, Seoul: Public Prosecutor revealed that the suspect was a popular male movie director who invited a 14 years old to his home. The girl run away from home and came to his home to stay for a night. They both met through a chat-room on internet. While the man took the girl to a room for her to stay a night, he tried to sexually abuse her. This case reminded and led to a debate among some Koreans on their justice system in relation to sexual abuse cases. Earlier, there was a case of 25 years old man sexually abused 12 years old girl and was punished for 30 months imprisonment, which many felt that the punishment was too low for the crime that was committed.
Manager Online, 19 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Child Sex Tourism
Arrested 32 years old woman procuring and delivering 13 years old girls from Pattaya to Bangkok for sexual purposes (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: In October 2009, a Thai woman took two girls both aged 13 years old from Pattaya to 45 years old American man at a hotel in Bangna district, Bangkok for sex services. The man also video-taped the sexual exploitative activities. Following month, November 2009, the man contacted the Thai woman again. This time the police in Bangna district made an arrest following a tip off on a use of drug, which led the police to find the sexual exploitative video that the man taped it while exploiting the two girls. The police immediately charged the man for the possession of drug, but the man jumped the bail. Currently, the man is also charged for sexual abuse girl below 15 and the police is hunting for him. From the video, the police investigated further and arrested a 32 years old Thai woman for procuring the girls for sexual purposes.
Manager Online, 08 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested 33 years old woman procuring a girl below 18 for foreigner (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: Police arrested a 43 years old Danish man in a rented apartment in Pattaya for commercial sexual exploitation of a girl aged 14. Following the arrest of the man, a Thai woman aged 33 was also arrested for procuring the girl. The woman confessed that she lured the girl into providing sex services to customers who mainly were foreigners. She would charge the customer for 1,000 baht and would deduct 300-500 bath (out of 1,000 baht) for herself. The woman had been doing this for many years. From further police investigation, it appeared that the woman was also jumping a bail on the previous charge of trafficking of minors under 15 for sexual purposes.
Source: www.pattayadailynews.com 7 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Related Others
Women still target of discriminatory laws
UNITED NATIONS: Five years after a UN conference called for the revocation of laws that discriminate on the basis of gender, a new report highlights 36 countries that still have laws that treat women as second-class citizens. The international human rights organisation, Equality Now, which prepared the report, said the countries it highlighted represent just a sample of nations that have failed to repeal discriminatory laws against women regarding marriage, economic and personal status, and violent acts including rape. The report was released Friday on the sidelines of a two-week conference by the Commission on the Status of Women to review progress on implementing goals to achieve equality for women adopted by 189 countries at a historic conference in Beijing in 1995. The Platform for Action adopted in Beijing includes a pledge to "revoke any remaining laws that discriminate on the basis of sex."
The Star Online, 6 March 2010
Baby dies as parents raise virtual child
SOUTH KOREA, SEOUL: A couple left their baby daughter to starve to death at home while playing an internet game which simulated child-rearing, police said on Friday. The man aged 41 and his 25-year-old wife were arrested on Thursday, five months after they reported the death of their 3-month-old baby, a police investigator in the city of Suweon just south of Seoul said on Friday. The father met his wife in 2008 through the internet. They had been on the run since their baby died. It quoted police as saying they had become obsessed with raising a virtual girl character called 'Anima' in the popular role-playing game 'Prius Online'. "The couple seemed to have lost their will to live a normal life because they didn't have jobs and gave birth to a premature baby," Chung Jin-Won, a police officer, told Yonhap. "They indulged themselves in the online game of raising a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby." "Due to our sense of guilt, we have not been to a PC gaming room over these five months," the couple told police after their arrest.
Worldnews Network (source: The Times of India), 5 March 2010
--
Dolores SD. Alforte
Executive Director
ECPAT Philippines
143 Anonas Extension
Sikatuna Village, Diliman
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel: (632) 9208151 / (632) 4415108
Fax: (632) 9299642
Email: doksdalforte@gmail.com
Sexual Exploitation of Children
Vice Dean of a temple arrested for buying sex from boys (no web-link)
THAILAND, Karasin province: police arrested a monk, 52 years old who was a Vice Dean of the temple and had been in a monkhood for 28 years. After receiving a report on the inappropriate behaviour of the monk, the police sent a decoy to go into the temple with other boys who were in prostitution. The monk confessed that he bought sex services from boys for many times by contacting them through telephone and paid them 200-500 baht each time.
Kao Sod, 05 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Street children increased; boys commercially sexually exploited than girls (no web-link)
THAILAND: Recent research on ‘Assistance for Street Children: Case Study on Street Teacher and Children Home (Shelter)’, conducted by the Foundation for the Better Life of Children during October 2009 – March 2010 in 5 GOs and 10 NGOs in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nakorn Ratchasima, Khon Khen, Udon Thani, Chonburi, Sakaew, Phuket, Songkla and Bangkok, found an increase of numbers of street children from 10,000 – 20,000 street children in the past one to two years to 30,000 street children. Most of street children are at the age of 14-24 years old and did not receive the government educational policy of the 15 years free education. Most of street children who do not have families to go back to are at high risk as they are being pushed into prostitution for survival, mainly boy street children. Besides, the research found that in the past three years, some groups of street children are not living on the street but jointly stayed together in a rented house. This may due to their engagement in prostitution that requires them to have a clean and good appearance. It is also found some street children stay together as a couple and have a child together, which result them to become street families and are used by criminals in their activities, e.g. selling drugs, selling illegal CDs.
Source: www.pitakthai.com, 02 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested transvestite for procuring high school and college/university students for sexual purposes (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pichid province: Police arrested a 32 years old transvestite who was one of big agents procuring especially junior high school, college and university students for sex services for customers who mostly were local government officials, politicians and businessmen. The transvestite already procured over 100 of the girls and would deliver them at a motel owned by a local politician located in Muang district, Pichid province. The girls would receive 1,000 baht while the transvestite would receive 500baht per girl. Police would also investigate further to arrest the buyers.
Kao Sod, 23 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Almost 100 street kids victims of sexual and physical abuse (no web-link)
INDONESIA: Following the recent uproar over a brace of child sex abuse and mutilation cases, the Jakarta Social Services Agency initiated last month an assessment program to identify the social background of the city's street children and determine potential sexual abuse victims. The Agency announced that it had completed assessing the city's street children, claiming it had collected almost 100 reports of sexual and economic exploitation. "As of *Thursday*, 96 children reported that they were victims of serious sexual and physical abuse," agency head Budihardjo said. "Some children even said they had been recruited and then economically exploited by an organized foundation." Budihardjo said his agency was currently coordinating with the city police to follow up reports. "If the police find enough evidence during the investigation, we will ensure that adults *who committed abuse* are sent to prison," he said.
The Jakarta Post, 17 February 2010
Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purpose
Arrested Thai and Laotian men for sexual exploitation of Laotian women in Thailand (no web-link)
THAILAND, Nongkai province: Two Thai men and two Laotian men were arrested for procuring 18 Laotian women, aged between 17-25 years old. The women were procured for providing sex services in brothels close to the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, Nongkai province.
Manager Online, 24 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested man aged 64 and woman aged 56 for trafficking of Laotian girl aged 14 for sexual purposes (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pichid province: police received a report of a missing Laotian girl aged 14 years old. According to the police investigation, the girl was lured into work in a karaoke owned by the 56 years old Thai woman. Then, she was sold further to another karaoke owned by the 64 years old Thai man for the price of 5,000 baht.
Kao Sod, 22 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested 18 years old girl procuring girls below 18 for sex services (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: Following a police investigation on prostitution and human trafficking in Pattaya, the police went on an undercover operation and arrested a 18 years old girl for trafficking of girls below 18 for sexual purposes. The 18 years old confessed that she had been procuring girls for sex services for many years. The customers were only Thai regular customers or those who were known to her. She had about 10 girls under her operation, most of them did not go to school. She would receive 500 baht per girl while the girls themselves would receive 1,000 baht.
Kom Chad Luk, 21 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Sexual Exploitation of Children through ICT
Several pornographic video clips found stored in teenager’s handphone
MALAYSIA, BESUT: A 14-year-old schoolgirl admitted that she was addicted to kinky sex acts such as bondage after frequently watching pornographic video clips downloaded from a website that allegedly provides content of locals engaging in such acts. The report was lodged after her parents found out about her sexual escapades, which led her to claim that she had been raped. Besut OCPD Supt Kamaruddin Mohd Zakaria said yesterday that several pornographic video clips were found stored in the teenager's handphone during the probe. "We found out that the latest trend is to watch pornographic clips and imitate the act," he said. "We ask parents to keep tabs on their children by frequently checking the type of video clips stored in their handphones."
Asiaone News (source: The Star/Asia News Network), 6 March 2010
Swimming coach jailed for sex acts with boys
SINGAPORE: A swimming coach in Singapore sexually exploited his six-year-old student during their lessons together and also paid a nine-year-old boy to perform sex acts on him. In September 2008, merely three months after a man, 34, a father of two young boys, was hired to coach his student at a condominium pool, he instructed, befriended and tricked six and nine years old boys into performing a sex act on on him for S$5 (RM12) and filmed the act using his cellphone camera.
Dailychilli (source: Straits Times/ANN), 6 March 2010
Girl known through internet was lured into sexual exploitation through a false promise for acting career (no web-link)
HONG KONG: An actor was jailed for seven years for sexually abuse 15 years old girl. The actor gave a false promise to numbers of girls he met through internet that he could help get them into an acting career. He asked the girls who were interested to come to see him for a photo shooting and filling in an application form. A 15 years old girl was one of girls who decided to meet him in July last year. On the meeting, she was lured to go to a motel and sexually abused. After the abuse, the girl was in trauma and high level of depression which led her into commit suicide.
Manager Online, 05 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Chatroom lured a 15 years old girl to run away from home (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: 29 years old man from a northern province (Loei province) acquainted himself with a 15 years old girl who lived in an eastern province (Nakornsawan province) through Chat Kue Kue for one month, then arranged to meet a girl in her homeland. After the meeting, on the 26th February, the girl went missing from home with a computer notebook and a digital camera stolen from the girl’s home. The girl went to Bangkok with a man, stayed for a night in a hotel and pawned the girl’s notebook computer and digital camera. After that, they went and rented an apartment in Pattaya planning to find a job here but were arrested by the police. The girl’s father said that usually the girl was a good girl who received good grades from school. Recently before the girl went missing, the girl tended to stay with computer a lot and suddenly went missing from home.
Source: www.pattayadailynews.com, 04 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested 25 years old man lured girls into sexual exploitation through Hi5 (no web-link)
THAILAND, Bangkok: following a tip-off to the police that numbers of girls studying in a school at junior high school level went missing from home as they were lured into sexual exploitation by a man through Hi5, the police launched their investigation and arrested a 25 years old man who was waiting for a girl at Jatujak Park. The man was charged for luring minors below 15 from their parents for sexual exploitation.
Manager Online, 04 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Pornographic magazine led 14 years old boy to lure 6 years old girl into sexual abuse (no web-link)
THAILAND: on 28 February 2010, police interviewed a 14 years old boy who worked as a waiter in a restaurant in the same area where a 6 year old girl lived. The boy confessed that after looking at a pornographic magazine he borrowed from a friend, he lured the girl who played in front of the house nearby to come and watch a movie in his house. He then used forces and sexually abused her, and threatened her not to tell anyone about the abuse. However, the abuse was revealed as the girl’s grandma noticed the girl was unusually depressed and asked her until she had to tell the cause of her depression.
Manager Online, 01 March 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Movie Director charged for attempt to sexually abuse 14 years old girl known through internet (web-link in Thai language)
SOUTH KOREA, Seoul: Public Prosecutor revealed that the suspect was a popular male movie director who invited a 14 years old to his home. The girl run away from home and came to his home to stay for a night. They both met through a chat-room on internet. While the man took the girl to a room for her to stay a night, he tried to sexually abuse her. This case reminded and led to a debate among some Koreans on their justice system in relation to sexual abuse cases. Earlier, there was a case of 25 years old man sexually abused 12 years old girl and was punished for 30 months imprisonment, which many felt that the punishment was too low for the crime that was committed.
Manager Online, 19 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Child Sex Tourism
Arrested 32 years old woman procuring and delivering 13 years old girls from Pattaya to Bangkok for sexual purposes (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: In October 2009, a Thai woman took two girls both aged 13 years old from Pattaya to 45 years old American man at a hotel in Bangna district, Bangkok for sex services. The man also video-taped the sexual exploitative activities. Following month, November 2009, the man contacted the Thai woman again. This time the police in Bangna district made an arrest following a tip off on a use of drug, which led the police to find the sexual exploitative video that the man taped it while exploiting the two girls. The police immediately charged the man for the possession of drug, but the man jumped the bail. Currently, the man is also charged for sexual abuse girl below 15 and the police is hunting for him. From the video, the police investigated further and arrested a 32 years old Thai woman for procuring the girls for sexual purposes.
Manager Online, 08 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Arrested 33 years old woman procuring a girl below 18 for foreigner (no web-link)
THAILAND, Pattaya: Police arrested a 43 years old Danish man in a rented apartment in Pattaya for commercial sexual exploitation of a girl aged 14. Following the arrest of the man, a Thai woman aged 33 was also arrested for procuring the girl. The woman confessed that she lured the girl into providing sex services to customers who mainly were foreigners. She would charge the customer for 1,000 baht and would deduct 300-500 bath (out of 1,000 baht) for herself. The woman had been doing this for many years. From further police investigation, it appeared that the woman was also jumping a bail on the previous charge of trafficking of minors under 15 for sexual purposes.
Source: www.pattayadailynews.com 7 February 2010 (CONTRIBUTION FROM ECPAT FOUNDATION)
Related Others
Women still target of discriminatory laws
UNITED NATIONS: Five years after a UN conference called for the revocation of laws that discriminate on the basis of gender, a new report highlights 36 countries that still have laws that treat women as second-class citizens. The international human rights organisation, Equality Now, which prepared the report, said the countries it highlighted represent just a sample of nations that have failed to repeal discriminatory laws against women regarding marriage, economic and personal status, and violent acts including rape. The report was released Friday on the sidelines of a two-week conference by the Commission on the Status of Women to review progress on implementing goals to achieve equality for women adopted by 189 countries at a historic conference in Beijing in 1995. The Platform for Action adopted in Beijing includes a pledge to "revoke any remaining laws that discriminate on the basis of sex."
The Star Online, 6 March 2010
Baby dies as parents raise virtual child
SOUTH KOREA, SEOUL: A couple left their baby daughter to starve to death at home while playing an internet game which simulated child-rearing, police said on Friday. The man aged 41 and his 25-year-old wife were arrested on Thursday, five months after they reported the death of their 3-month-old baby, a police investigator in the city of Suweon just south of Seoul said on Friday. The father met his wife in 2008 through the internet. They had been on the run since their baby died. It quoted police as saying they had become obsessed with raising a virtual girl character called 'Anima' in the popular role-playing game 'Prius Online'. "The couple seemed to have lost their will to live a normal life because they didn't have jobs and gave birth to a premature baby," Chung Jin-Won, a police officer, told Yonhap. "They indulged themselves in the online game of raising a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby." "Due to our sense of guilt, we have not been to a PC gaming room over these five months," the couple told police after their arrest.
Worldnews Network (source: The Times of India), 5 March 2010
--
Dolores SD. Alforte
Executive Director
ECPAT Philippines
143 Anonas Extension
Sikatuna Village, Diliman
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel: (632) 9208151 / (632) 4415108
Fax: (632) 9299642
Email: doksdalforte@gmail.com
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