Claim filed against state over death of Federal Way child

Following the death of a 5-year-old girl in Federal Way, a tort claim has been filed against two state agencies, with the claim that the negligence of these state agencies ultimately led to the child’s death.

On Oct. 9, Loren Cochran of the Cochran and Douglas law firm filed a tort against the state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and state Child Protective Services (CPS), representing the estate of 5-year-old Soo Jin Hahn, whose father is accused of killing her.

Cochran said he filed the claim because of DCYF and CPS’s alleged negligence and systemic failure to intervene in the abuse of Soo Jin Hahn despite years of warning signs.

Soo Jin Hahn died on May 29, 2025, at her home in Federal Way. Her father, Woo Jin Hahn, was initially charged with second-degree assault of a child, two counts of third-degree assault of a child, fourth-degree assault and interfering with domestic violence reporting. His charges were amended on Sept. 23 to homicide by abuse, second-degree assault of a child and two counts of third-degree assault of a child.

Cierra Fisher, who also lived at the home of Woo Jin Hahn and Soo Jin Hahn, was charged with first-degree assault of a child after being accused of assaulting Soo Jin Hahn, and third-degree assault for allegedly assaulting one of the other children in their home.

According to charging documents, Woo Jin Hahn said that on the day before the child died, he got frustrated with her, so he tied her hands up above her head and then began to punch her as hard as he could. Woo Jin Hahn said that when he became frustrated with Soo Jin Hahn, it was normal for him to have a physical reaction once or twice a week, and he said his snapping points would result in bruises that would last two to three days.

“Police on the scene report that Hahn, when asked if his actions led to the death of his daughter, responded ‘yes,’” according to documents.

According to Cochran, the claim asserts that CPS received multiple reports of physical abuse by Woo Jin Hahn, in the same Federal Way household, for at least three years before the death of Soo Jin Hahn. Despite repeated opportunities to investigate and remove children from harm, the state agencies failed to take protective action, Cochran said.

Cochran said he believes if DCYF and CPS had taken more action, there’s a high likelihood that Soo Jin Hahn would still be alive today. Cochran said that DCYF Policy 2332, Child Protective Services Family Assessment Response, requires the agency to assess families in response to screened-in allegations of abuse or neglect, and evaluate the safety of children and youth to determine if services are needed for the family to improve or restore family well-being.

“We know of at least three instances where CPS reports were made, two by mandatory reporters and another by a family member, where comprehensive family assessments should have been conducted,” Cochran said. “If conducted, DCYF/CPS would have found that Soo Jin was incredibly vulnerable, with special needs, nonverbal, not enrolled in any school, and hadn’t seen a doctor since 2022. A safety plan should have been in effect for all of the children in the house, including Soo Jin Hahn.”

Cochran said that a family assessment and safety plan would have addressed that Soo Jin Hahn had not seen a doctor since 2022, which is a huge red flag when CPS is responding to allegations of abuse and neglect. Cochran said that it’s known from the affidavit of probable cause, used to charge Woo Jin Hahn, that at the time of her death, Soo Jin Hahn had a fractured jaw that was in the process of healing, meaning that a break occurred in the past. Cochran said that forcing Soo Jin Hahn to see a doctor likely would have alerted medical professionals that Soo Jin Han was being abused at home.

Cochran said that there is a longstanding concern about systemic failure within DCYF and CPS to respond adequately to credible abuse reports. State law requires that DCYF review child fatalities and near fatalities that are maltreatment-related and where there was prior DCYF involvement within the 12 months preceding the incident. Cochran said people can find reviewable incidents on the agency website, where there is report after report where children, especially those with special needs, have died despite prior CPS involvement.

Cochran said Soo Jin Hahn’s great-grandmother on her mother’s side of the family is the representative of the child’s estate. Cochran said that Soo Jin Hahn’s mother died from cancer in September 2020 at the age of 21.

According to the tort, the exact amount of damages they are seeking is unknown at this time, but in this case, a child was tortured on a prolonged basis, and DCYF and CPS were made aware of the neglect, but did not intervene. The tort states that in a similar Pierce County case, a jury awarded $115 million to the estate of two children for the negligence of DCYF that resulted in their murders by their father.

“This case is about accountability and about making sure this never happens to another child,” Cochran said. “Washington’s child protection system exists to keep kids safe. In this case, it failed in the most tragic way possible.”

Cochran said the only remedy available is money, as the civil justice system is limited to only giving out monetary consequences. Cochran said the civil justice system cannot criminally punish, and it cannot demand specific relief like terminations or re-training.

“However, in my experience, nothing creates greater institutional change than a monetary damages award in a civil case,” Cochran said. “Risk managers, who are ultimately responsible for paying the damage awards, are the ones who demand that agencies review all policies and procedures so that the same mistakes are avoided in the future.”