20s Couple Who Gave 17-Month-Old Child Diluted Milk... Why the Judge Rebuked Them

Mandatory Vaccinations Skipped 20 Times
Court: "Childcare Measures Are Not Being Properly Implemented"

A couple in their 20s who gave their 17-month-old child diluted milk with water instead of formula due to financial difficulties have been brought to trial, Yonhap News reported on the 9th.

According to Yonhap News, the prosecution indicted the couple in April on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act (child abandonment and neglect), and the first trial was held at the Daejeon District Court on the 5th.

The two stayed at a motel in Daejeon after giving birth to their child in July 2021. Without registering the birth, they cared for the child at the motel for about eight months, skipping 20 mandatory national vaccinations for infectious disease prevention. Around March 2022, they moved to a villa in Dong-gu, but their living conditions did not improve. Until the end of that year, they fed the child a mixture of half milk and half water instead of formula.

After hearing the prosecutor's charges, the court said, "As guardians of the victim child, proper care has not been provided. They cannot do as they please just because it is their own baby," reprimanding the defendants. The defendants lowered their heads silently.

Originally, this case was not subject to criminal trial. If the defendants had attended the family court for child protection proceedings, the matter could have been resolved with child protection measures and probation. However, since the defendants did not appear at the family court trial, the case was referred to criminal court. It was judged that the defendants' offenses were not minor enough to be resolved by a summary indictment with a fine, so the case was sent to trial.

The court criticized, "The defendants escalated a matter that could have ended with child protection and probation. They did not attend the child protection trial nor properly undergo probation investigation. Their noncompliance with the procedures is causing the sentence to increase. It is difficult to see any remorse."

However, considering the circumstances despite it being a criminal trial, the court decided to proceed with the trial procedure in accordance with family court standards. First, the defendant couple will undergo a pre-sentencing investigation at the probation office and have an interview with a child protection specialist agency. They are also required to submit to the court a certificate confirming completion of 20 hours of mandatory education during the interview process.

The court stated, "The child protection trial examines how they intend to proceed, whether they have the will to protect the child, and whether they have received appropriate education. Although this is a criminal trial, we will proceed according to family court procedures. We will conduct the pre-sentencing investigation, hold the interview in the meantime, and continue the trial."

Meanwhile, the child is currently staying at a child protection facility.