A man in Maryland who adopted a boy from Korea just four months ago is under arrest for the boy’s murder.
Brian O’Callaghan faces a first degree murder and child abuse charge in the death of 3-year old Hyunsu who was disabled. His father claimed Hyunsu slipped while taking a shower, but prosecutors say an autopsy showed injuries to the head consistent with being beaten.
Back in Korea, a Korean American adoptee has taken on the boy’s cause, protesting outside both the National Assembly and the adoption agency, reports the Korea Herald.
“To me it’s just like really sad and heartbreaking … even just thinking about the last minutes that he would have spent not even being able to express himself,” said Shannon Heit, 33.
Heit thinks more should be done to protect the basic human rights of young adoptees.
Questions have been raised about whether the adoption agency Holt did a thorough background check or made an effort to find someone in Korea to adopt the boy.
You can read about a growing movement in Korea to push for fewer international adoptions in the Korea Herald.