The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Man kills baby because he ‘wasn’t potty trained’

By 임정요

Published : June 27, 2016 - 14:46

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Police requested an arrest warrant for murder, Sunday, for a man who threw and killed the 3-year-old child of the woman he was cohabiting with.

According to Gangwon Province Chuncheon Police, the 33-year-old, surnamed Jeong, impulsively committed the murder as he was cleaning up after the baby. 

(Yonhap News Youtube Capture) (Yonhap News Youtube Capture)

Jeong told police, “I was angry that the feces overflowed out of the diapers on to the floor. And then the baby wouldn’t stop crying after I cleaned him.” He threw the toddler twice, at the wall and wardrobe, after which the baby’s pulse and breathing stopped.

Jeong was drunk at the time of his crime, however, police decided he had enough discernment to know his actions could result in life-threatening consequences for the baby.

Jeong reportedly attempted CPR, but to no avail. Instead of reporting the case to emergency services or to police, Jeong texted a friend that he “killed the baby.”

Jeong was arrested at his home on Saturday around 8 a.m., following the friend’s report to police. The baby’s body had been left neglected for 31 hours.

The mother, a 23-year-old whom Jeong had met over a smartphone chatting application, worked mostly at nighttime and did not realize the baby was dead until Jeong informed her a day later.

He reportedly told her he was sorry, saying he “made a grave mistake after getting drunk.”

The two had lived together for a month. While the woman went out for work, Jeong, who was injured while working odd jobs, stayed home and looked after the child.

Although there appears to have been no direct abuse inflicted on the dead child previous to the incident that caused his death, police will further investigate the case to find if there had been any condemnable negligence in the couple‘s rearing of the child.

Jeong’s warrant hearing was set to take place Monday.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)