A 30-year-old father whose 17-month-old daughter died after she was improperly fed has been handed over to the prosecution on charges of child abuse homicide.
Police Investigation and Charges
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s Women’s and Youth Crime Investigation Division announced on the 5th that they have detained and transferred the father, identified as Mr. A, to the Pyeongtaek Branch of the Suwon District Public Prosecutors Office. He faces charges under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (child abuse homicide) and the Child Welfare Act (abandonment and neglect).
Exiting the detention center at Pyeongtaek Police Station around 9 a.m. that day, Mr. A briefly answered "I am sorry" when reporters asked if he knew there would be problems feeding her only formula, or if he had thought about asking local authorities for help.
When asked, "Didn’t you think the child could die?" he responded, "I am sorry. I am sorry." When asked why he did not feed her properly while living with his wife, he gave no answer.
Asked if he had any last words for his daughter, he said, "I am sorry to the child," before boarding the transport vehicle.
Neglect Over Five Months
Mr. A is accused of leaving his 17-month-old daughter, B, at their home in Pyeongtaek for about five months from mid-May until the end of October this year. During this period, he allegedly failed to provide necessary nutrients for growth, such as baby food or snacks, and neglected her by feeding her only formula two or three times a day, eventually leading to her death.
Initially, police investigated Mr. A on charges of child abuse resulting in death. However, they upgraded the charge to child abuse homicideβcarrying a heavier sentenceβafter concluding he possessed "oblique intent," recognizing the possibility that the child could die yet leaving her unattended.
According to the investigation, Mr. A and his 20-year-old wife, C, left baby B alone at home while they went out to work night delivery jobs. The neglect continued even after Ms. C left the home following a dispute in early October.
Lack of Medical Care and Action
Immediately after his wife left, Mr. A took a break from work. However, about ten days before B died, he started a new job, providing formula only before and after his commute.
During police questioning, Mr. A reportedly stated that he looked at B’s visibly thin and weakened condition and thought, "Her health might deteriorate and she could die."
Police determined that Mr. A, who had a duty of care, fully recognized that his daughter’s life was in danger but failed to take any rescue measures, such as improving her diet or taking her to a hospital, thus establishing oblique intent to kill.
Regarding why the couple did not ask those around them for help with child-rearing, they reportedly told police, "We had no contact with our parents, and while we looked into daycare centers and other childcare facilities, we couldn’t send her because there were too many people on the waiting list."
Previously, around 10 p.m. on the 28th of last month, Mr. A made a direct call to 119 reporting that "the baby is not breathing." Transferred to a hospital, baby B showed no external signs of trauma such as assault, but was in a state of severe nutritional deficiency and ultimately passed away.
The National Forensic Service, which conducted an autopsy on B’s body, conveyed a preliminary verbal opinion to the police stating that "the cause of death is presumed to be nutritional deficiency."
Meanwhile, police have booked and are investigating Ms. Cβwho left the child alone with Mr. A prior to running away and neglected nutritional supplies for Bβwithout detention on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act.
