A 31-year-old woman has been arrested and sent to prosecutors for potential indictment on charges of attempted murder after allegedly abandoning her newborn at a garbage disposal and recycling area in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul, police reported on Friday.
The urgent arrest was made by the Women’s Safety Division of the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency on June 1, citing violations of the Child Welfare Act for abandonment. Authorities are now pursuing further legal action, potentially indicting the woman on attempted murder charges.
A neighbor passing by the scene heard the baby crying and reported it to the police, leading to the woman’s apprehension at her home later that day. The baby, abandoned in a paper collection box at a garbage disposal center in Yeonghwa-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, was taken to the hospital immediately after the report was made.
Initially, the police charged the mother with violating the Child Welfare Act. However, after receiving testimonies from doctors who stated that the newborn could have died if the rescue had been delayed any further, the charges were elevated to attempted murder. Authorities emphasized that tightly sealing the baby in a plastic bag and abandoning him was a deliberate act of attempted murder.
The police investigation revealed that the mother gave birth at home and abandoned the baby boy around 7 p.m. on May 31. Through the analysis of CCTV footage in the area, the police were able to locate and arrest the woman at her residence. The case has now been forwarded to prosecutors for potential indictment on attempted murder charges.
In the interrogation, the woman told police she thought raising the baby would be difficult and admitted to covering his face because he was crying. The police stated that tightly sealing the newborn in a plastic bag and abandoning him was a clear, intentional act of attempted murder.
The police also questioned the baby’s father, who claimed he was unaware of the pregnancy. The couple had reportedly dated for several months last year before ending their relationship in December.
Authorities plan to continue interrogating the father and the suspect’s parents, who are known to reside in the same house as the suspect. The investigation will focus on uncovering the full extent of the mother’s motives and any potential involvement of other parties.
