Birth Registration Completed... Biological Mother Arrested and Indicted
Discovered by a Citizen on the 21st of Last Month, Dramatically Rescued
Recovering Health in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] A newborn baby who was abandoned in a food waste bin immediately after birth miraculously survived. The biological mother’s family reportedly gave the baby a name and completed the birth registration process. However, the biological mother who abandoned the child has been charged with attempted murder.
According to Cheongju City, Chungbuk Province, on the 14th, the biological mother’s family of the abandoned newborn girl, A, recently submitted A’s birth registration form. A has now completed all procedures and received a 13-digit resident registration number. The family is also said to have given A a name.
With the birth registration completed, A will be eligible to receive various welfare benefits such as child allowance and childcare allowance. A is currently receiving treatment at a hospital and is expected to be transferred to foster care or a protective facility for growth, as the biological mother’s family has expressed difficulty in raising A. Cheongju City plans to make a final decision on how to protect A after a case review committee meeting next month.
Fundraising efforts to support A are also underway. According to the Chungbuk Social Welfare Community Chest, fundraising to help A has been ongoing since the 25th of last month until October 31, and over 100 million won in donations has been confirmed so far.
Newborn baby A was abandoned in a restaurant's food waste bin with injuries on her body immediately after birth. / Photo by Yonhap News
A was dramatically rescued from a 10-liter food waste bin on the 21st of last month. At the time, a citizen passing by the bin early in the morning heard A’s crying, opened the bin, found her, and reported it to 119 (emergency services).
At the time of rescue, A had a 15 cm-long wound from the back of her right neck to her back, and due to the hot and humid weather, the wound was decomposing, showing signs of sepsis, putting her life in critical condition. A survived for dozens of hours in the bin, enduring the pain of flesh rotting.
After being rescued by firefighters who responded to the report, A was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, underwent wound suturing and skin graft surgery, and was moved to the neonatal intensive care unit for treatment.
Based on CCTV footage near the alley, the police investigated and arrested B, the biological mother who abandoned A. B is accused of giving birth at her residence on the 18th of last month and abandoning A in a nearby restaurant’s food waste bin. Before abandoning her daughter in the bin, she also inflicted injuries on A’s neck with a sharp object.
The police initially sent B to the prosecution on charges of attempted infanticide, but after additional investigation, the prosecution changed the charge to attempted murder and formally indicted her with detention. Attempted murder carries a heavier penalty than attempted infanticide.
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