Arrest warrant issued for mother accused of killing 2 newborns, storing bodies in freezer

A woman accused of killing her two newborns and keeping their bodies in a refrigerator was formally arrested Friday after a court issued a warrant for her arrest.

The Suwon District Court issued the warrant, citing fears she might flee.

The woman in her 30s was charged with murdering two babies, one boy and one girl, after their births in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and storing their bodies in a freezer at her home in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul.

Earlier in the day, she declined to attend a court hearing on the arrest warrant amid speculation that she made the decision because the hearing would make no difference, as she had already confessed to the crime.

After her arrest Wednesday, she told police that she strangled the babies due to economic hardships while raising three children. She also said she lied to her husband that she had an abortion, and the husband told police he believed what she said.

Police sought an arrest warrant for her on charges of infanticide Thursday.

Police plan to continue the investigation after a decision on the arrest warrant is made, while conducting digital forensics on the suspect's and her husband's cellphones.

Police launched the probe earlier this month after receiving a report from the Suwon city government about the babies, who had no birth registration despite having birth records.

In a similar case, the whereabouts of another undocumented baby are unknown in the city of Hwasong, 45 km south of Seoul, with the mother saying she handed over the baby to someone she got to know online. Police suspect foul play could have been involved.

The two cases came to light as the Board of Audit and Inspection sought to check the well-being of babies that have not been registered with the government. Such unregistered births are believed to amount to about 2,000 between 2015 and 2022, according to an estimate by the state auditor.