(123rf)
(123rf)

A woman in her 30s has been arrested on suspicion of killing her 8-month-old son, officials said Thursday.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said the woman is under investigation on charges of child abuse resulting in death. Police said she had admitted to repeatedly hitting her on the head with a TV remote control on April 10.

The child was taken into a nearby hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, shortly after the incident occurred.

Doctors found that the child had sustained severe head injuries, including a skull fracture, and recommended hospitalization, but the mother refused to admit her child and took him home.

On April 13, the mother took the child back to the same hospital after finding him unconscious at home. He died the next morning.

An examination of home surveillance footage during the investigation into the child’s death found that the parents had left the infant alone for hours on multiple occasions.

The mother initially told police that the child had been injured in a fall during a bath, but later admitted to the assault during questioning. Police then placed her under emergency arrest. A preliminary autopsy by the National Forensic Service also found the child died of head injuries.

During questioning, the mother said she abused the child because he would not sleep and kept crying.

Police are also questioning the child’s father as a witness to determine whether he was involved in or enabled the abuse.

Authorities said they planned to seek a warrant later in the day to formally detain the mother.


junheee@heraldcorp.com