Couple arrested for abusing 2-month-old daughter in South Korea

Police on Thursday arrested a couple in their 20s who are suspected of letting their 2-month-old daughter die by not taking her to the hospital after she suffered an injury at their home in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.

According to the police, the 22-year-old father is suspected of pushing the baby off the bed and leaving the injured child on the floor for more than 10 hours without getting her necessary medical attention.

The infant died early Wednesday morning.

Police said the father had also injured the baby in January by accidentally dropping her while carrying her in the street. The baby was seriously injured after the accident. She fractured her right arm and ended up with scrapes on her head. Even then, he did not take her to the hospital and left her untreated.

He and his wife are also suspected of physically abusing the baby from Feb. 15-March 8.

The couple took their baby to the nearby general hospital on Wednesday, claiming they discovered she was dead after they woke up in the morning. A physician in the hospital, who suspected the late infant had been abused, reported the couple to the police.

Bucheon police said the couple eventually confessed to the crime, after being investigated and questioned by the authorities. The police plan to request an arrest warrant for the couple, on charges of murder and child abuse. 

 By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)