A teenager who gave birth to a baby in a bathroom and left the infant to die has received a suspended sentence in an appeal trial.
According to Yonhap News, the Suwon High Court's Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Shin Hyun-il, overturned the original ruling on October 14 and sentenced the defendant, identified as A, to two years in prison, suspended for three years. The court also mandated that she complete 40 hours of a child abuse treatment program. The original sentence had been two years and six months in prison.
The appellate court stated, "The defendant was a high school student at the time of the crime and was mentally and socially immature." It added, "When she confirmed her pregnancy, she was unable to seek help from her boyfriend or inform her family, and she gave birth without proper medical care."
The court noted that the defendant appeared to have acted out of mental shock and psychological distress immediately after giving birth, leading to her failure to take appropriate action. Considering these circumstances, the court deemed the original sentence to be somewhat excessive.
A, who was 17 at the time, was charged with causing the death of her baby after giving birth in the bathroom of her home in Gyeonggi Province in September 2024 and failing to take necessary measures. Investigations revealed that the baby was left in the toilet for about an hour after birth.
During the trial, A's defense argued that she was in a state of mental incapacity at the time of the incident. However, the first-instance court found it difficult to conclude that she had a mental disorder that impaired her decision-making ability, resulting in a sentence of two years and six months in prison. A subsequently appealed the ruling.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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