7-Month-Old Weighed Like a Newborn... Gaming-Addicted Couple Charged with Child Abuse and Transferred to Prosecutors

Average Weight for 7-Month-Old Boys Is Around 8 kg
Baby Weighed Only Newborn Level at Time of Death

A couple in their 20s who neglected their 7-month-old son due to gaming addiction, resulting in his death, have been handed over to prosecutors.

Police Logo. The Asia Business Daily Database

On July 14, the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had transferred the couple, Mr. A and Ms. B, in custody on charges of murder by child abuse.

This legally married couple is accused of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (murder by child abuse), as they left their 7-month-old son unattended at their home in Daejeon, causing his death from malnutrition and other factors. At the time of his death, the infant weighed only in the 3 kg range—comparable to a newborn—highlighting the seriousness of the parents’ neglect, and intensifying public criticism.

The police began their investigation on July 5 after receiving a report from a hospital stating that “an infant was transported in a deceased state.” They subsequently received an initial autopsy report from the National Forensic Service, which indicated that the cause of death appeared to be malnutrition and dehydration.

At the time of death, the baby weighed only in the 3 kg range, whereas the standard weight for a 7-month-old boy according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s growth chart is in the 8 kg range. A weight of 3 kg is typically that of a newborn, i.e., a baby at birth.

Investigations revealed that the couple did not have clear jobs and had been frequently visiting PC rooms, neglecting their young son for extended periods while being absorbed in gaming. Neither suffered from any intellectual disabilities or mental disorders, and there were no other children besides the deceased baby.

The police determined that the parents’ prolonged and intentional neglect of essential care for the infant’s survival suggested a high likelihood of “willful negligence,” where they could have foreseen the possible death of the baby but still failed to act. Accordingly, they applied the charge of murder by child abuse, which carries a heavier sentence than involuntary manslaughter due to child abuse.

The couple reportedly acknowledged having been neglectful toward the baby but denied any intent to murder, although they generally admitted to the neglect.

Meanwhile, a police official stated, “We completed the investigation and transferred the case to the prosecution today,” adding, “Once we receive the official documents determining the precise cause of death from the National Forensic Service, we will deliver them to the prosecutors.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.