'Motel Newborn' Death... Prosecutors Seek 15-Year Prison Term for Mother

Prosecutors: "She did not want to give birth despite knowing she was pregnant"
Defense: "She lost consciousness due to excessive bleeding during childbirth"

Prosecutors have sought a heavy sentence for a woman in her 20s who has gone to trial for allegedly causing the death of her newborn baby in a motel.

A man in his 20s named Kim, accused of causing the death of a child born in a motel, appeared at a pre-trial detention hearing held at the Seoul Southern District Court last May. Photo by Yonhap News

At the sentencing hearing for Kim, a woman in her 20s charged with child abuse resulting in death, held on September 30 in Criminal Division 14 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jeonghee), prosecutors requested a sentence of 15 years in prison and a 10-year employment restriction.

Prosecutors explained, "The defendant, despite being aware of her pregnancy after a medical diagnosis, repeatedly purchased and took abortion pills in an apparent attempt to miscarry, so it appears that she had no intention of giving birth. Evidence of murder has been confirmed. It can be sufficiently recognized that she had the intent to kill, and we question whether she respects her duty to protect life."

On this day, Kim admitted all the charges but pleaded for leniency. Kim said, "If I could see you again, I wonder what kind of face you would look at me with, what kind of excuse I could make. I lost my child before I could even show any love, and I didn't even get to give a toy. I will live with this guilt and reflect on my actions."

Kim’s attorney argued, "This case has caused great pain to the defendant as well. She was very young at the time, unable to receive help from adults, and she lost consciousness from excessive bleeding during childbirth, making it very difficult for her to make sound judgments."

Kim was arrested and indicted for allegedly giving birth to a baby in a room at a motel in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul in February of this year and causing the baby’s death. Although Kim called 119 herself, it was confirmed that she did so several hours after giving birth. The National Forensic Service later determined the baby's cause of death as drowning and hypothermia.

Initially, Kim told police she did not know she was pregnant, but records later confirmed she had visited an obstetrician before giving birth. Since the trial hearing in July, she has admitted to all the charges.

The sentencing hearing for Kim is scheduled for November 11 at 10 a.m.

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