Another tragic child abuse case was brought to light last weekend, only days after the body of a 7-year-old boy, who died in February due to maltreatment by his stepmother, was found buried in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

Police said Saturday they arrested a man in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, in connection with the death five years ago of his 4-year-old stepdaughter.

The stepfather, surnamed Ahn, attributed the death of the child to abuse by her mother, who committed suicide Friday, right after police began to probe the case. She left a note that read, “I had no intention of killing her. Sorry to my family. I am responsible for her death.”

Ahn told investigators that his daughter lost consciousness and died after being put by her mother in a bathtub filled with water several times on a day in December 2011. The mother, he said, did the cruel act against the child for not being potty-trained.

He added he did not report his daughter’s death to police because his wife begged him not to. He buried the body of the child on a hill in Jincheon, a county north of Cheongju.

Police arrested Ahn for the illegal burial of the victim. Investigators are still questioning him as they doubt the veracity of his testimony. They suspect that he put all the blame on his dead wife without confessing his role.

The latest child abuse case is the fifth of its kind to be brought to light since a nationwide hunt started in January for children who have been either absent from school for a long period of time or not enrolled in school in time.

The search for missing students was prompted by a child abuse case involving an 11-year-old girl in Incheon, which was exposed in December. The girl, confined to her home by her father, was kept malnourished for two years. She escaped the house barefoot to get some food.

Last Friday, the government disclosed the outcome of its intensive efforts to track down missing children. The Education Ministry said elementary and middle schools across the nation initially reported a total of 7,680 children “missing” -- in the sense that they were supposed to enroll in school but did not.

But schools subsequently accounted for 7,394 of them. These students were found to have enrolled in different schools without telling the ones they were supposed to attend.

Among the 286 remaining children, police have tracked down the whereabouts of 267. It is fortunate that most of the missing children have been confirmed to be safe. But the problem is that 19 children still remain missing.

The government needs to step up efforts to find out the whereabouts of the missing children. The possibility of the recent spate of horrible child abuse cases being further extended cannot be completely ruled out.

To reduce child abuse, citizens are strongly advised to recognize their responsibility. Whenever they suspect a child of being abused, they should report the case to police.

The government is beefing up manpower to tackle child mistreatment and neglect. But there is an obvious limit to what government officials and police can do about the matter. The citizens‘ role is vital.