Woman sentenced in newborn's motel death accuses baby's father of fraud

A woman sentenced to six years in prison for leaving her newborn to die in a motel bathroom has accused the baby's father of fraud, alleging he posed as a doctor and took her money as she attempted to arrange an abortion, which fell through.

The woman was convicted of murder caused by child abuse by a local court. 

The man, the newborn's biological father, dated the woman until January 2025 before they broke up. She later discovered she was pregnant and agreed with him that she would have an abortion.

Time slipped away. She could not cover the cost of the procedure, and her former boyfriend failed to appear to accompany her as her guardian on the scheduled date. By then, she was past 24 weeks of pregnancy, the limit after which the procedure was no longer available.

Her former boyfriend then introduced her to a doctor. She exchanged messages with the doctor on Telegram and sent him money described as a fee, but the two never met in person.

With the birth imminent, the woman checked into a motel in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 13, 2025, and gave birth alone. She left the newborn in the bathroom sink. The baby died.

The woman came to suspect that her former boyfriend had posed as the doctor to take her money, and she reported him to the police for fraud.

The complaint was first filed with the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency, then handed to the South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency in March. Police have since referred the case to prosecutors with a recommendation to indict.

The woman also has appealed her conviction for the newborn's death.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]