Couple Charged After 83-Day-Old Son Dies While Sleeping on Stomach
Incheon police have referred a couple to prosecutors after their 83-day-old son tragically died while sleeping on his stomach. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's Women and Youth Crime Investigation Unit announced on March 17 that a woman in her 20s, identified as A, and her husband in his 30s, B, are facing charges of negligent homicide.
The incident occurred on September 15, 2024, in a home located in the Michuhol District of Incheon, where the couple's second son, referred to as C, was found unresponsive after sleeping face down in his crib for three hours. At the time, A and B were reportedly napping together.
Emergency services responded to B's call reporting that the child was not breathing and transported C to the hospital, but unfortunately, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
While the police initially investigated the possibility of child abuse, they were unable to find sufficient evidence to support such claims. They received expert opinions from the National Forensic Service and the Korean Society of Legal Medicine indicating that C's death could not be attributed to abuse.
Additionally, the police assessed that a skull fracture C sustained two months prior to his death was unrelated to any form of abuse. A claimed that she accidentally dropped the child due to wrist pain from postpartum syndrome, a diagnosis that the police confirmed.
However, A was previously charged under child welfare laws for an incident in November 2023, where she allegedly pulled on the leg of their first son, resulting in a broken kneecap when he was just two months old.
