"Flushed Without Knowing the Fetus Had Come Out"... Body of 20-Cm Male Fetus Found at Wastewater Treatment Facility

DNA testing identifies the mother; "I didn't know the fetus had been expelled"
Police close case after finding no evidence of a crime

Police identified the mother through DNA testing in a case involving the discovery of the body of a male fetus measuring about 20 centimeters at a wastewater treatment facility in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. However, finding no evidence of a crime, they closed the case as an unexplained death.

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According to the Asan Police Station and other sources, the fetus was found on September 28 at a wastewater treatment facility in Asan. Police later identified the mother through DNA testing and investigated the exact circumstances of the case.

The mother reportedly told police that she mistook abdominal pain at the time for a signal that she needed to have a bowel movement, went to the bathroom, and flushed the toilet without realizing that the fetus had been expelled.

The fetus is believed to have flowed through a drain and wastewater pipes before reaching the treatment facility. The facility reportedly receives wastewater from businesses and dormitories in a nearby industrial complex, as well as residences in the Tangjeong area.

An autopsy by the National Forensic Service confirmed that the fetus had already died before birth. Taking the mother's statement and the autopsy results into account, police found no evidence of a crime and closed the case as an unexplained death.

It has also been noted that it is difficult to apply current laws to punish anyone in connection with this case. In the past, a pregnant woman who terminated her own pregnancy could have been charged under the Criminal Act with the offense of self-induced abortion.

However, the Constitutional Court ruled in 2019 that the relevant provision was nonconforming to the Constitution and ordered the law to be revised by the end of 2020. As no replacement legislation was enacted, the provision lost effect in 2021.

A police official explained the case, saying, "It is essentially a situation where there is no applicable law."

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