'Chobo Eomma' Prosecutor's Persistent Investigation... 'Newborn Abuse Cover-up' Exposed

Prosecutor An Seyoung Secures Evidence with One-Year Extended Investigation
12 Including Hospital Director Indicted for Concealing Crime

In February 2021, at a postpartum care center in Busan, an incident occurred where the skin behind the ear of a 19-day-old baby was torn. When the parents reported it and a police investigation began, hospital officials unanimously claimed it was an 'accident.' The police forwarded the case on charges of injury due to negligence, but after an additional year of investigation, the prosecution revealed that the nurse assistant had deliberately taken the baby to a CCTV blind spot in the early morning because the baby was crying and fussing, violently pulling and twisting the ear, causing the injury. Furthermore, during the trial, a prosecutor who noticed suspicious points persistently investigated and uncovered that the postpartum care center had systematically concealed the nurse assistant’s child abuse. The hospital officials not only refused to admit fault but also destroyed key evidence, such as the blood-stained baby shirt, and forged nursing records to cover up the crime. At the end of last month, the prosecution indicted all 12 people involved, including the hospital director, for concealing the newborn abuse. This happened about three years after the incident occurred.

Ahn Se-young, Prosecutor at Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

On the 7th, we met with Prosecutor Ahn Se-young (34) at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office in Mapo-gu, Seoul. She directly investigated the 'Busan Newborn Abuse Concealment Case.' She worked at the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office Western Branch until early this year and recently transferred to Seoul due to personnel changes. Prosecutor Ahn, who was part of the trial division at the time, recalled, "The circumstances of the case were very strange." She said, "When the initial abuser reported to the head nurse, it was written as 'I pulled the ear.' Also, the medical opinion brought by the victim’s parents stated that 'it is unlikely to be a wound caused by a cotton swab.'"

The initial report of 'pulling the ear' by the abuser was evidence already secured during the early police investigation. However, due to a lack of concrete evidence such as CCTV footage clearly proving the abuse, the police concluded it was a case of negligence and forwarded it to the prosecution. Reviewing the related records during the trial, Prosecutor Ahn suspected intentional abuse and concealment of the crime. Coincidentally, as she was transferred to the investigative department, she expanded the investigation scope to include not only the abuser but also hospital officials. It was essentially a reinvestigation.

The investigation was not easy. A long time had passed since the incident, and hospital officials had already destroyed evidence and forged related records. Prosecutor Ahn said, "They had to claim that the injury (which occurred in the early morning) was an accident caused while removing vernix (the substance covering the fetus’s skin) during a bath, so the hospital staff analyzed the CCTV footage by time and memorized the movements to manipulate the timeline during the investigation." She added, "The disposal of the baby shirt and other crimes were carried out boldly." Since the revelation of newborn abuse could threaten the hospital’s existence, the concealment was organized and meticulous.

However, the forged nursing records ironically became crucial in the investigation. The prosecution found discrepancies while comparing the secured CCTV footage with the nursing records. Prosecutor Ahn said, "The role of the prosecution investigators was very significant. They quickly conducted a search and seizure to obtain the forged records, and after watching the CCTV footage repeatedly overnight, they discovered inconsistencies, which became decisive evidence in the investigation."

Ultimately, the hospital director, head nurse, and 12 others involved in the newborn abuse and its concealment at the postpartum care center were all indicted last month. Coincidentally, another newborn fall incident occurred at the same postpartum care center in 2022, which also sparked controversy for initially failing to inform the parents promptly, leading to concealment allegations. Prosecutor Ahn said, "The head nurse involved in this case is the same person accused in the fall incident. They tried to conceal that case as well but had no choice but to inform the parents. I think because the 2021 case was easily manipulated, they attempted to conceal the crime again." Poor investigation led to another similar crime.

At the time of this investigation, Prosecutor Ahn was a sixth-year prosecutor and a new mother. She gave birth for the first time in January last year and returned to work around summer to take on this case. Prosecutor Ahn smiled and said, "I also gave birth in Busan and used a postpartum care center, so experiencing the care center system helped in the investigation." She added, "The victim’s parents were in their late 30s and had a late-born child after much difficulty. They have fought a lonely battle for three years, so I hope that revealing the truth of the case brings them some consolation."