A 4-year-old girl was left alone on a school bus for over three hours after failing to disembark from an English academy bus.
On November 5, the Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency announced that they are investigating four individuals, including the head of the English academy, the bus driver, and a bus aide, for violating child welfare laws.
According to police, the suspects are accused of neglecting their safety responsibilities when the girl, referred to as A, was unable to unbuckle her seatbelt during the disembarkation process around 10 a.m. on October 1. The bus aide, unaware that A had not exited the bus, allowed the vehicle to depart. Even upon arriving at the bus depot, neither the driver nor the aide checked the interior before leaving the bus.
A was discovered inside the bus around 1 p.m. after her parents were informed by the academy that she had not arrived. It was also confirmed that the disembarkation confirmation device installed in the back seat of the bus was turned off. This device is intended to prompt the driver to check for any children remaining inside the vehicle.
According to Article 53 of the Road Traffic Act, drivers must ensure that all children have exited the school bus after completing their route and must activate the disembarkation confirmation device to verify this. The bus aide is also required to ensure that children safely board and exit the vehicle. Violations can result in fines of up to 300,000 won or imprisonment.
The affected parents filed a complaint with the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station against the academy head and the other three individuals on October 2. The English academy has acknowledged its negligence and stated that it is implementing measures to prevent a recurrence.
A police official stated, “We have completed the investigation of the complainants and will soon proceed with the investigation of the accused.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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