Police mull murder charges for infanticide suspect

Nationwide probe of more 'ghost' babies speeding up, according to investigators

(123rf)

Police are reportedly considering applying murder charges for a woman in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in her 30s, who is alleged to have kept the bodies of two 1-day-old infants in a freezer at her apartment, instead of infanticide charges amid growing criticism that punishment for the crime is too light.

Criminals convicted of infanticide face up to 10 years in jail, far lighter than murder.

A lineal ascendant who kills a baby while being delivered or immediately after delivery in order to avoid disgrace or for fear of the impossibility of raising the child or for other extenuating motives can be punished by imprisonment for not more than 10 years. Criminals guilty of a murder, meanwhile, face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The level of punishment of infanticide criminals has been lighter in consideration of the mother being under extreme stress during and immediately after delivery, according to experts. In the Suwon case, the woman is alleged to have killed both infants a day after birth, not the day of birth.

Korea has been facing growing calls for a change to the infanticide law, as there have been more cases of parents killing their babies. The relevant law on infanticide was created in 1953 and has never been amended. As there were many cases of killing infants due to economic difficulties immediately after the Korean War, the social situation was reflected in the reduced punishment, according to legal experts.

"France and Germany have abolished the crime of infant murder by revising the criminal law. Korea also has to revise the law because the light sentence for infanticide can cause a trend of disregard for human life," a report released by the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee said.

Meanwhile, police announced Monday that they are investigating 11 cases of "ghost children" who were logged as being born in hospitals but whose births remain unregistered by their parents, as a part of an inspection ordered by the Board of Audit and Inspection. The state audit agency has been looking into these 2,236 cases since March, and has asked local governments and police to confirm the whereabouts of 20 infants, or about 1 percent of the total.

By Lee Jaeeun(jenn@heraldcorp.com)