Daughter Thrown in Motel Leading to Brain Hemorrhage... Father Claims "No History of Habitual Abuse"

Daughter Cries and Whines Without Sleeping, Leading to Crime
Lawyer: "Never Intentionally or Habitually Abused"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The prosecution has requested a prison sentence for a biological father who threw his 2-month-old daughter onto a table at a motel in Incheon, causing her to fall into a critical condition due to a brain hemorrhage.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 17th at the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 12 (Presiding Judge Kim Sang-woo), the prosecution demanded 5 years and 6 months imprisonment for A (27), who was indicted on charges including child abuse causing serious injury under the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.

Earlier, A was arrested and indicted on charges of grabbing his 2-month-old daughter B’s body with his hand, shaking her violently, and then throwing her onto a wooden table in a motel room in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, around 11:30 p.m. on April 12, causing severe head injuries. He was also charged with neglect for piling up trash and leaving leftover food to rot in the same motel room from April 6 to 12, thereby neglecting B and his 18-month-old first son.

At around 12:03 a.m. on April 13, he called a nearby hospital asking for help, saying "The baby is bleeding." The emergency room security staff who received the call reported it to the 119 ambulance service and requested immediate dispatch. At that time, B showed symptoms of brain hemorrhage along with 'pulmonary contusion,' indicated by bruising or bleeding in the lungs. B was transferred to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Incheon in a state of cardiac arrest. Although she later regained consciousness, she continues to receive treatment, and her older brother was moved to a childcare facility in Incheon.

Investigations revealed that A committed the crime out of anger because his daughter, who would not sleep, kept crying persistently, and even his first son woke up and cried together.

A’s wife C (22), who was not at the motel at the time of the incident, was wanted on fraud charges but was arrested by the police on May 6 and detained. However, she was recently sentenced to 4 months in prison with a 2-year probation and released, currently living in a 'single-parent family welfare facility.'

In court, A admitted to the charge of child abuse causing serious injury but denied the neglect charges. In his final statement, A said, "I can only say that I am sorry."

A’s lawyer appealed, saying, "The defendant did not plan the abuse meticulously in advance," and added, "Before the incident, A lived moving from motel to motel due to financial difficulties, and after his spouse was detained, he raised the children alone. Although he accidentally dropped the child a few times, he did not intentionally or habitually abuse them. Please consider this."

During the trial, motel owner B, who appeared as a witness, said, "While A and his wife stayed at the motel, I did not see them abuse or neglect the children or leave them alone. I am heartbroken that such an incident happened and ask for leniency."

When Judge Kim asked wife C whether she hoped for punishment for her husband, who is on trial for causing injury to the children, she tearfully said, "It is difficult for me to raise two children without my husband. It was wrong that I was not there, and my older son did nothing wrong."

Meanwhile, since last summer, A and his wife had been moving between several motels in the Bupyeong-gu area, living in such difficult circumstances that they received emergency livelihood support. It is also known that B was born in a motel in February.

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