A woman in her 20s faces a detention hearing after severely malnourishing her 20-month-old daughter through neglect, primarily feeding the child only rice over the 20 months since birth.
Arrest and Investigation
On January 4 at around 8 p.m., the mother brought her daughter, showing abnormal symptoms, to a hospital in Incheon’s Namdong-gu residential area. Medical staff discovered the toddler suffered from acute nutritional deficiency and immediately reported the case to child protection authorities.
Investigators arrested the mother on site after confirming the child’s condition. Forensic analysis by the National Forensic Service classified the issue as nutritional deficiency. Two rounds of examinations found no evidence of physical abuse, only signs of neglect involving inadequate feeding.
Authorities noted the mother force-fed the child minimal nourishment, such as rice, despite the toddler’s poor health. The infant’s condition deteriorated due to lack of proper nutrition, including proteins and vegetables, leading to stunted growth.
Detention Hearing Proceedings
On January 7 afternoon, the mother appeared at Incheon District Court for a pre-detention interrogation on child abuse charges filed by the hospital’s child protection center director. Covering her face with a hat and mask, she attended without a lawyer.
In a written statement, she insisted on accurately conveying the hospital’s complaint, claimed her explanations had been misrepresented, and vowed to appeal the decision fully. She refused to answer the presiding judge’s questions verbally.
However, she later stated, “There is no resentment toward them here,” and stamped “I’m sorry” before entering another room. The full detention hearing proceeds at 2 p.m. the following day, with a decision expected later that afternoon.
