Mother accused of leaving 4-month-old in bathtub while she watched TV

Yeosu Police Station in South Jeolla Province / Korea Times file

A woman in her 30s has been apprehended in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, for leaving her 4-month-old son unattended in a bathtub, causing him to lose consciousness, police said Wednesday.

According to Yeosu Police Station on Thursday, the woman was taken into custody the previous day on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act. She is accused of leaving her infant son, who cannot yet sit up on his own, alone in a baby bathtub at her home around 12:30 p.m.

She told police that she “was watching television” at the time of the incident. She later found her son unconscious and called emergency services. The baby was rushed to a nearby hospital but remains unresponsive, officials said.

Medical staff who treated the child alerted police after noticing bruises and other signs suggesting possible abuse. Police said the child’s father was at work when the incident occurred, and the baby had been properly registered at birth.

Authorities are investigating whether additional offenses have been committed and are working to determine the full circumstances surrounding the case.

This article from Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.