Father sent to prosecutors for child abuse murder of 2-month-old daughter in Osan
In short
Police in Gyeonggi Province sent a man in his 40s to prosecutors in custody on October 20 on a charge of child abuse murder over the death of his two-month-old daughter. Police changed the charge from child abuse resulting in death after finding conditional intent to kill. He admits hitting the baby but says he did not mean to kill her.
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A man in his 40s was sent to prosecutors in custody on October 20 on a charge of child abuse murder over the death of his two-month-old daughter in Osan, Gyeonggi Province. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's Women and Youth Crime Investigation Unit announced the planned referral on October 19. The charge falls under the special act on punishment of child abuse crimes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
The man, identified as A and described as a company employee, is suspected of hitting the baby, identified as B, on her face and head about ten times at their home in Seodong, Osan, in the early hours of October 11. Yonhap, Kukmin Ilbo and Maeil Business say he used both hands, while Newsis says fists. By his own account, he was sleeping next to her that night and hit her out of annoyance when she kept crying and would not sleep. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Police first held him on a charge of child abuse resulting in death. He admitted the beating but said he had no intent to kill. Police then changed the charge to child abuse murder, finding conditional intent to kill. Yonhap said they weighed the baby's age of two months, and the location, method and number of blows. They also weighed a first autopsy opinion from the National Forensic Service, which presumed the cause of death to be head injury and found it matched the area he struck. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Police said he remotely deleted the footage from the home camera by phone right after the baby was pronounced dead at hospital. Police restored it through digital forensics. The restored footage contained sounds presumed to be him hitting the baby, and her crying. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Police received a 112 call at about 03:47 on October 11 saying the baby was not breathing. She was taken to hospital in cardiac arrest and died during treatment. Police found bruises on her body and signs that the footage had been deleted, and arrested him on an emergency basis. They said his wife, who was in another room, did not take part and did not know of the beating, and found no sign of abuse or violence before that day. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
At 08:54 on October 20 he left the Yongin Dongbu police station detention cell in a black hat and mask. Asked whether he really had no intent to kill, he answered that he had none. Asked whether he deleted the footage to hide the crime and whether he had anything to say to his family, he said he was sorry. Asked about his daughter, he said, "Daddy is so sorry, truly sorry," before boarding the transport vehicle. Dong-A Ilbo reported that the Suwon District prosecutors' office plans to review whether supplementary investigation is needed. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The case shows police upgrading a charge from child abuse resulting in death to child abuse murder, based on restored home camera footage and autopsy findings. Prosecutors are to decide whether further investigation is needed.
Key facts
- The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's Women and Youth Crime Investigation Unit sent the man, a company employee in his 40s identified as A, to prosecutors in custody on October 20 on a child abuse murder charge. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- He is suspected of hitting his two-month-old daughter's face and head about ten times at their home in Seodong, Osan, in the early hours of October 11, killing her. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Police changed the charge from child abuse resulting in death to child abuse murder after deciding that conditional intent to kill was established. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Police restored home camera footage that he had deleted remotely by phone; it contained sounds presumed to be him hitting the baby and her crying. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Police said his wife was in another room, did not take part and did not know of the beating. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 ]
- Asked by reporters whether he had really not meant to kill, he answered that he had not. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The father was sent to prosecutors in custody on October 20 on a charge of violating the special act on child abuse crimes (child abuse murder). [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Police changed the charge from child abuse resulting in death to child abuse murder. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The father deleted the home camera footage remotely and police restored it through digital forensics. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- The mother, who was in another room, did not take part in the beating and did not know of it. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 ]
- The baby was taken to hospital in cardiac arrest and died during treatment. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the father intended to kill his daughter. He admits hitting her but says he had no intent to kill; police concluded conditional intent to kill was established.
- Whether he struck the baby with both hands or with his fists. Yonhap, Kukmin Ilbo and Maeil Business say both hands; Newsis says fists.
- Whether prosecutors will order supplementary investigation. Dong-A Ilbo reported that the Suwon District prosecutors' office plans to review whether it is needed.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On October 11, police received a 112 call saying the baby was not breathing. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]
- On October 19, Yonhap published police's announcement that the father would be sent to prosecutors the next day. [ 1 ]
- On October 20, the father left the Yongin Dongbu police station detention cell wearing a black hat and mask and answered reporters' questions before boarding a transport vehicle. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]