Mother indicted for abandoning newborn in trash bin
Seoul prosecutors charged a woman with attempted child murder and moved to suspend and terminate her parental rights after her newborn was rescued from a restroom trash bin.
Newborn babies are seen in cradles at a hospital in Gyeonggi on June 24. This photo is unrelated to the article.
NEWS1
A woman who abandoned a newborn in a toilet trash bin has been indicted and taken into custody with suspension of parental rights, the prosecution said Wednesday.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted the suspect on charges of attempted child murder through abuse under the Act on Special Cases concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes in May.
On April 3, she allegedly gave birth in the restroom of the commercial building where she worked and later abandoned the baby in a trash bin.
The infant was rescued after her colleague found the baby and called emergency services. The newborn was taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest and was revived after receiving emergency treatment, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The baby was later admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit.
Police launched an investigation after receiving the coworker's report. They arrested the woman and referred the case to prosecutors.
Prosecutors worked with the child protection committee at Seoul National University Hospital, a victim support center and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to develop a long-term, integrated protection plan for the abandoned child.
Prosecutors suspended the suspect’s parental rights to ensure the infant received prompt medical treatment.
The prosecutors determined that the mother's detention would make it difficult to obtain timely consent for the infant's medical treatment. They therefore petitioned the Seoul Family Court on their own authority for a temporary order suspending her exercise of parental rights.
After the court granted the request, the hospital obtained consent from the child's maternal grandfather, who had been appointed as a temporary guardian. It allowed necessary procedures to be carried out without delay.
Prosecutors also completed the child's birth registration on their own authority, which enabled the infant to receive medical services, conduct financial transactions and qualify for welfare benefits, including child allowances.
Prosecutors also concluded that the mother was unfit to retain parental rights and formally petitioned the court to terminate those rights. They also asked the court to appoint the head of the child care facility where the infant is staying as the child's legal guardian.
"We will enforce a zero-tolerance policy toward child abuse crimes and make every effort to protect child victims in their best interests,” the prosecution said.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
