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Police have decided to apply child abuse murder charges against a father in his 30s who left his 17-month-old daughter alone at home and failed to feed her properly, causing her death.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's Women and Juvenile Crime Investigation Unit announced Wednesday that it plans to transfer the father, identified only as A, to prosecutors in detention Thursday morning on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (child abuse murder) and the Child Welfare Act (abandonment and neglect).

Police had initially detained A on charges of child abuse resulting in death, but upgraded the charge to the more serious child abuse murder after concluding that he had acted with "contingent intent" — knowingly disregarding the possibility that the child could die.

A is accused of neglecting his daughter, identified only as B, at the family's home in Pyeongtaek from mid-May through late October — about five months — feeding her only formula once or twice a day while withholding the nutritional foods necessary for her development, such as baby food and snacks.

Investigators found that A and his wife, identified only as C, had left the infant alone at home while they went out for night-shift delivery work. After C left following an argument in early October, A continued to neglect the child.

A took time off work immediately after his wife left, but about 10 days before B's death he started a new job and gave the child formula only before and after his shifts.

A told police during questioning that he had seen B visibly emaciated and weakened, and said he "thought her health was deteriorating and that she might die."

Police determined that A had acted with contingent intent to kill, noting that despite being fully aware his daughter's life was in danger, he took no steps to improve her diet, seek medical care or otherwise help her — even though he had a legal duty to protect her.

When asked why the couple had not sought help from those around them, both told police they had no contact with either set of parents and that while they had looked into daycare centers, waiting lists were too long to secure a place.

A called emergency services on the night of Oct. 28, reporting that the baby was not breathing. B was taken to a hospital, where she showed no signs of physical assault or other external injuries but was found to be severely malnourished. She died shortly after.

The National Forensic Service conducted an autopsy and delivered a preliminary verbal finding to police that the cause of death was presumed to be malnutrition.

Meanwhile, police have also booked C without detention on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act for abandonment and neglect, as C had also left B alone and failed to provide adequate nutrition before leaving the home.

Police said they will continue investigating whether C can be held legally responsible for B's death as well, given that A had been caring for the child alone for about a month after C's departure before B died.


husn7@heraldcorp.com