Daejeon: A teacher accused of stabbing an 8-year-old student to death at an elementary school in the central city of Daejeon has confessed to the crime, citing feelings of annoyance after being excluded from a class, police reported on Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the female teacher, who is in her 40s, made the statement to police following the incident that occurred on Monday. She admitted to stabbing the young girl on the school's second floor. The child later succumbed to her injuries at a hospital due to excessive bleeding.
The teacher revealed to police that she became annoyed shortly after returning to work, attributing her frustration to an unidentified individual who allegedly prevented her from teaching a class. Police investigations uncovered that the suspect had been receiving treatment for depression since 2018 and had contemplated suicide during a six-month sick leave starting in December.
Despite being on leave, the teacher returned to work ahead of schedule. On the day of the tragic event, she purchased a weapon and went back to the school with the intent of targeting a student. She reportedly waited for children to leave an after-school class, intending to die along with a child.
In a chilling account, she told police that she offered a book to the last child leaving the class, took her to the audiovisual room, and then proceeded to strangle and stab her. The suspect also inflicted stab wounds on herself and is currently recovering in a hospital.
Reports indicate that the teacher had displayed aggressive behavior previously, including an incident last Thursday where she allegedly twisted the arm of another teacher who inquired about her well-being. Faculty members intervened, but no formal complaints were made to the police at that time.
The police have requested the National Forensic Service to perform an autopsy on the child's body to ascertain the precise cause of death.