Suwon court orders detention of father over two-month-old daughter's death

The Suwon District Court issued a detention warrant on October 14 for a father in his forties suspected of fatally abusing his two-month-old daughter at their home in Osan, Gyeonggi province, local outlets reported. The court said there were risks that he would flee or destroy evidence. Hankook Ilbo reported that the warrant hearing began at 10:30 that morning. [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]

The father is suspected of repeatedly striking the child's face at their home in Seo-dong in the early hours of October 11. Reports citing the investigation said he became angry because she was not sleeping and continued to cry or fuss. Newsis said he subsequently reported that the baby was not breathing and that she was transported to hospital in cardiac arrest but died. [ 1 , 2 , 9 , 12 ]

Police initially arrested the father on suspicion of murder after finding bruising and other injuries on the child and detecting signs that he had remotely deleted home-camera footage using his phone after she was pronounced dead. Reports said he admitted the assault but denied intending to kill her. Police sought the warrant on the fatal-child-abuse allegation, which they said had been established at that stage, rather than the initial murder suspicion. [ 2 , 5 , 9 , 10 ]

Before leaving Yongin Dongbu Police Station for court on October 14, the father repeatedly apologised when reporters asked about the assault and the deleted footage, Yonhap reported. Newsis reported a preliminary verbal opinion from the National Forensic Service that head injuries were the suspected cause of death. Police were examining the home camera's memory card through digital forensics and continuing to establish the circumstances of the case. [ 1 , 2 , 9 ]