17-month-old daughter dies due to malnutrition... Father arrested on suspicion of child abuse and murder

A father in his 30s who killed his 17-month-old daughter by leaving her alone at home and not feeding her properly was handed over to the Public Prosecution Service on charges of child abuse and murder.

The Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency's Women and Youth Crime Investigation Department arrested and transferred the biological father, Mr. A, to the Pyeongtaek Branch of the Suwon Regional Public Prosecutors' Office on the 5th on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (child abuse and murder) and violating the Child Welfare Act (abandonment/neglect).

Mr. A, who left the Pyeongtaek Police Station detention center around 9 a.m. on this day, briefly replied, "I'm sorry," to reporters' questions, "Did you not know that problems would arise if you only fed formula?" and "Did you not think of asking the local government for help?"

When asked, "Did you ever think that the child could die?" he said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," and gave no answer to the question, "Why didn't you feed him properly when you lived with your wife?"

When asked, "Do you have any last words to say to your daughter?" he said, "I'm sorry to your child," and then got into the escort car.

Mr. A is accused of causing the death of his 17-month-old daughter, B, by neglecting her at his home in Pyeongtaek for about five months from mid-May to the end of October this year, by feeding her only formula two or three times a day without providing her with the nutrients necessary for growth, such as baby food or snacks.

Initially, the police arrested and investigated Mr. A on charges of child abuse and death, but the charge was changed to child abuse and murder, which carries a heavier sentence, after recognizing the 'intentional negligence' of neglecting the child even after recognizing the possibility of the child's death.

As a result of the investigation, it was found that Mr. A left young Miss B alone at home while he and his wife, Mr. C, who is in his 20s, went out to work delivering packages at night, and that the neglect continued even after Mr. C left the house after an argument in early October.

It was found that Mr. A took a break from work immediately after his wife left home, and that about 10 days before Ms. B's death, he went to work at another workplace and only gave her formula before and after commuting to work.

During the police investigation, it was confirmed that Mr. A stated that when he saw Ms. B, who was extremely thin and weak even with the naked eye, "I thought that she might die due to her health deteriorating."

The police determined that Mr. A, who had a duty of care, had an unfulfilled intention to kill his daughter, considering that he was fully aware that her daughter's life was in danger but did not take any relief measures, such as improving her diet or having her receive hospital treatment.

Regarding the reason why Mr. and Mrs.

Previously, Mr. A directly reported to 119 at around 10 pm on October 28, saying, “The baby is not breathing.” Ms. B, who was taken to the hospital, suffered no major injuries such as assault, but was severely malnourished and eventually died. After performing an autopsy on Ms. B's body, the National Institute of Forensic Science delivered its initial verbal opinion to the police, saying, "The cause of death is presumed to be nutritional deficiency."

Meanwhile, the police are investigating the biological mother, C, who left Miss B alone with Miss A before running away from home and neglected to provide nutrition, by booking her without detention on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act (abandonment/neglect).

The police plan to continue the investigation by reviewing legal principles to determine whether Mr. C is also legally responsible for the death.