Couple Neglects One-Year-Old Baby Leading to Blindness... Mother Enjoys Gaming at PC Bang

Court Sentences Couple to 3 Years Each for Child Abuse Charges
Couple Says "Financially Struggling and Mentally Distressed"

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A couple was sentenced to prison for neglecting their 1-year-old son, who had impaired vision and could not see well, for over a year, resulting in his blindness.

Judge Lee Yeon-jin of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 2 sentenced A (40) and his wife B (24), who were indicted on charges of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act, to three years in prison each and ordered them to complete an 80-hour child abuse treatment program on the 26th.

In February 2019, when their second son C was 1 year old, despite his vision impairment and poor eyesight, they did not take him to the hospital. The couple repeatedly postponed or canceled hospital appointments, and it was only in February last year that they finally took their son to an ophthalmologist. After a detailed examination, it was found that C required surgery due to vitreous hemorrhage in both eyes and suspected retinal pathology.

Previously, in March 2018, when C was 4 months old, he had undergone surgery for a skull fracture and subdural hemorrhage.

However, the couple delayed C’s surgery for more than seven months. During this time, a counselor from the child protection agency, with the consent of A and his wife, took C to the hospital for another ocular ultrasound examination, which diagnosed him with "blindness due to retinal detachment in both eyes."

Meanwhile, it was revealed that mother B left C and their eldest son (then 3 years old) alone at home early in the morning in September last year to go to a nearby PC room to play games.

According to the child protection agency, there were four reports of suspected child abuse by A and his wife from March 2018 to September last year. Although they received case management from the agency, including guidance on hospital visits, housing applications, welfare recipient applications, and foster care applications, as well as support for medical expenses and rent, they failed to properly care for their two sons.

C currently resides in a facility for young children with visual and brain disabilities, while his older brother lives in another child welfare facility.

Meanwhile, in court, A and his wife stated that they faced financial difficulties and mental stress from child-rearing.

The court explained, "When the defendants became aware of the victim child's vision impairment in February 2019, the child was about 1 year and 3 months old. Due to the defendants' neglect lasting over a year and a half, by July last year, when the child was about 2 years and 8 months old, retinal detachment in both eyes had already occurred, making vision recovery impossible."

It continued, "Even considering the defendants’ financial difficulties, inexperience in child-rearing, and the need for sufficient national and social support for child-rearing, the neglect inflicted on victim C for 1 year and 6 months is considered very severe," and stated that "strict punishment is inevitable" as the reason for sentencing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.