Daejeon District Court Sentences to 1 Year Imprisonment with 2 Years Probation
Child Dies from Brain Contusion After Being Dropped on the Floor
A man in his 30s, who comforted his 100-day-old baby by throwing him and accidentally dropped him on the floor, resulting in the baby's death, was sentenced to a suspended prison term.
On the 16th, Judge Jang Min-ju of the Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 11 announced that A (34), who was charged with involuntary manslaughter, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspension. On November 16, 2018, around 6 p.m., at his home in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, A threw his 100-day-old son B toward the ceiling to comfort him when he was crying but failed to catch him as he fell. B hit his head on the floor and was taken to the hospital for treatment, but died two days later due to skull fracture and concussion.
A was charged with causing B's death by negligence, as he should have taken care to support the entire body with both hands since his son could not even properly hold up his neck. Judge Jang pointed out, "A, as the biological father, had the responsibility to protect and raise his son, the victim, but he engaged in dangerous and unreasonable behavior toward the victim who was only a few months old, leading to his death." Regarding the sentencing, he explained, "Although the degree of negligence was severe, the defendant admitted the crime and showed remorse."
Throwing a baby to comfort them can cause 'Shaken Baby Syndrome'
Severely shaking a child under the age of two can cause serious damage known as 'Shaken Baby Syndrome.' Since an infant's head is relatively large compared to the strength of their neck muscles, strong shaking back and forth can cause brain hemorrhage, brain edema, cerebral palsy, or intellectual disabilities in severe cases.
In January, a Russian male influencer and millionaire with 6.99 million subscribers sparked global outrage after playing a prank where he threw his two-month-old son into a snow pile. The man, named Sergey Kosenko, posted a video titled "Leo's First Flight" on his social media to celebrate Russian Christmas (January 7) based on the Julian calendar. The video showed him dressing his son in a panda costume, throwing him high into the air, and letting him fall into the snow, burying him. Viewers condemned it as "clear child abuse" and demanded he be stripped of parental rights. In response to the criticism, Kosenko gave the unbelievable excuse that the video used a doll, not his real son.
To prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome, when holding and comforting a baby, always support the head and neck with your hands. Avoid actions such as throwing the baby into the air and catching them or running while carrying the baby. There have also been cases where electric bouncers caused Shaken Baby Syndrome when operated too vigorously.
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