Single Mom Sentenced to 1 Year 6 Months for Leaving Rare Disease Baby Unattended for 11 Hours, Causing Death (Comprehensive)

7-Month-Old Baby Died on Last Year’s Children’s Day
Court: "Child Requiring Special Protection
Ended Short Life in Pain on Children’s Day"

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] A single mother who left her baby born with a rare disease unattended for 11 hours, resulting in the baby's death, has been sentenced to prison.

The Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 12 (Presiding Judge Changkyung Lee) announced on the 18th that A (23), who was charged with abandonment resulting in death, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison and was taken into custody in court.

A was tried on charges of leaving her 7-month-old baby alone at her parents' house for about 11 hours from 11:18 PM on May 4 last year until the morning of Children's Day the next day, causing the baby's death.

The baby, suffering from a congenital rare disease, had apnea symptoms requiring a caregiver to continuously monitor the condition, but the mother neglected the child for an extended period.

In response, the court considered A's situation, who had been struggling alone to care for the baby after giving birth at a hospital emergency room, but judged that responsibility must be held for her irresponsible actions.

The court stated, "The victim was a child who required extremely special protection and attention. Nevertheless, the defendant took the victim out of a care facility where professional help was available, left the victim without informing anyone, and left, resulting in an irreversible outcome."

It added, "Although the defendant claimed to have put the victim to sleep and gone out to relieve stress accumulated during the parenting process, the victim was left alone on Children's Day, a day to be blessed by all, and ended a short life in unimaginable pain."