Got a baby through IVF with difficulty... suffered postpartum depression and killed the baby

Surrendered Immediately After the Crime... Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison

A woman in her 30s who suffered from postpartum depression and killed her two-month-old baby was sentenced to prison.

According to Yonhap News on the 11th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Busan District Court Seobu Branch (Chief Judge Lee Jin-hyeok) announced that it sentenced Ms. A, a woman in her 30s charged with murder, to four years in prison.

Busan District Court Western Branch.
Photo by Yonhap News

Ms. A was brought to trial on charges of killing her two-month-old baby at her home in Gangseo-gu, Busan, in September of last year.

When the baby was not born healthy at the time of delivery, Ms. A began to worry that the baby might have disabilities. Afterward, she suffered from postpartum depression. After being discharged from the postpartum care center and returning home, she thought the baby cried and fussed more because of her, and she was tormented by feelings of guilt.

In this situation, while her husband was asleep, Ms. A committed the crime with the thought of "wanting to go back to before the baby was born." Immediately after the crime, she surrendered to the police. It was previously reported that Ms. A had difficulties conceiving and underwent procedures such as in vitro fertilization.

The court stated, "Ms. A had difficulty conceiving and, after strenuous efforts including medical assistance, had a baby. However, through childbirth, postpartum care, and parenting, she experienced depressive symptoms due to feelings of guilt that her faults were great and that she was not doing well, and then killed her two-month-old baby. The baby was killed without having enjoyed much happiness as a human being due to the defendant’s cruel choice as a guardian, and the defendant had opportunities to save the baby during the crime but did not do so."

However, the court added, "There is some room for consideration as the defendant committed the crime while suffering from postpartum depression. Although the victim and their family must have suffered greatly, the defendant also appears to have suffered significant mental shock and is expected to live the rest of her life bearing the pain equivalent to punishment due to guilt for having killed her young child herself," explaining the reasons for sentencing.

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