Teacher stabs 8-yr-old student to death at elementary school in Daejeon

A female teacher in her 40s stabbed an eight-year-old student to death at an elementary school in the central city of Daejeon on Monday and inflicted stab wounds on herself, authorities said.

Earlier, police found the two with stab wounds on the second floor of an elementary school building in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 6 p.m. after the student’s parent reported her missing from an after-school art class.

Rescuers transported the girl to a hospital in an unconscious state, but she later died. The teacher, who sustained stab wounds to the neck and arm, reportedly remained conscious.

Police later said the teacher admitted to the crime during a subsequent investigation, with officials determining that she might have inflicted the injuries on herself afterward.

The student was staying at the school at the time of the crime for its after-class child care session before heading to a private art class.

Police found that the teacher had taken a leave of absence due to depression and returned to the school late last year.

The teacher underwent surgery for her stab wounds, and the police said they will resume questioning her as soon as the operation concludes and she regains her health.