A mother who left her 7-month-old infant home alone with a bottle in its mouth, resulting in the baby's death, has been given a suspended prison sentence.
The Busan District Court's Western Branch Criminal Division 4 (Judge Jang Seong-wook) sentenced the woman, identified only as "A," to one year and six months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act (child abandonment and neglect) and negligent homicide, the court announced Tuesday.
The court also ordered her to complete 40 hours of child abuse prevention education and banned her from working at child-related institutions for three years.
A is accused of leaving her second child, a 7-month-old infant, at her home in Gangseo-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of February 16, 2024, with a bottle of formula in the baby's mouth. The infant died of suffocation from unknown causes.
After leaving home that day, A spent approximately five hours drinking with acquaintances. Only her two children — a 28-month-old and the 7-month-old — were left in the house.
The court found that given the infant's developmental stage, there was a risk of suffocation if the baby rolled over and could not turn back, requiring constant monitoring and necessary intervention. The court determined A was responsible for the infant's death by leaving the residence.
"The defendant left a child only 7 months old with a bottle in its mouth and the child subsequently died, making the offense serious," Judge Jang said. "The sentence was determined considering that A was caring for two children alone during divorce proceedings with her husband, and that she has acknowledged and expressed remorse for her wrongdoing."
