20s Mother Found Not Guilty of Abandoning One-Week-Old Babies in Baby Box

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A woman in her 20s, who was prosecuted for abandoning her infants, approximately one week old, twice in a baby box, was acquitted in the first trial.

On the morning of the 13th, Judge Kim Changmo of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 14, presiding alone, acquitted Ms. A (29, female), who was charged with infant abandonment.

Previously, Ms. A was prosecuted for abandoning her first child in July 2018 and her second child in April 2021, each about a week after birth, by leaving them with a letter in a baby box at a church in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. The letter was investigated to contain content stating "It is difficult to raise the child due to economic circumstances."

When Ms. A left her first child in the baby box, her identity was not identified, but during the second case, she was registered with investigative authorities and a DNA test was conducted, leading to investigations of both cases together.

In court, Ms. A’s side argued that "(she did not leave immediately) but always met with church officials right away and went through a counseling process." The defense attorney said, "Many children come into the baby box, and children are regularly protected there. During the day, there are general volunteers, and two officials are present 24 hours a day."

During the trial, Judge Kim also asked, "Why was the father, who accompanied her at the time of the incident, not prosecuted along with the mother?" Church officials also appeared as witnesses in court to testify about the situation at that time.

Judge Kim ruled Ms. A not guilty of the charges. He stated, "(At the time of the incident,) there were always people stationed at the church to take care of the children," and "It is recognized that the defendant entrusted the child after consulting with the person in charge, rather than leaving the baby box and leaving the place," adding, "Based on the evidence submitted by the prosecution alone, the charge that the defendant placed the child in the baby box and left the scene is not established."

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