A 20-Year-Old Mother Left Her Child Alone for 3 Days While Meeting Her Boyfriend During the Heatwave

At the end of last month, during a fierce heatwave, a tragic incident occurred in a villa in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province.

A 2-year-old boy was found alone and left unattended for a staggering 3 days, as his mother stated that she had left home to meet her boyfriend.

On the 3rd, the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency reported that they are investigating a woman in her 20s, identified as A, for neglect and abandonment under the Child Welfare Act.

According to police and fire authorities, on the afternoon of the 29th of last month, a citizen reported that "a child seems to be alone" in a villa in Deokgye-dong, Yangju.

Firefighters who arrived on the scene confirmed that the child was indeed home alone and had to deploy a ladder truck to enter through a window since they could not open the locked front door.

A Child Left in Dire Conditions

The condition inside the home discovered by firefighters was heartbreaking. The 2-year-old boy was found lying on a bed, and the house was filled with trash.

Despite the temperature soaring to 35 degrees Celsius in Yangju, the only thing on was a fan inside the house.

Upon being contacted, mother A was urgently arrested upon her return home, and the child was immediately placed under protective custody.

It was determined that A had left the child alone since the 27th of last month for about 3 days. A reportedly stated during the police investigation that she went out to meet her boyfriend.

Although some food that the child could eat was left within reach, basic care such as providing meals or changing diapers had not been done at all.

At the time of discovery, the child had not eaten properly and was not in good health; fortunately, it was reported that his life was not in danger.

Currently, the child has been temporarily entrusted to relatives, separated from A.

A is known to have been raising the child alone after separating from her spouse.

The police, deeming A's charges serious, applied for an arrest warrant. However, it was dismissed by the prosecution, and the investigation is currently ongoing without custody.

A police official stated, "We plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident against A."

Meanwhile, child neglect is an act that harms a child's health, safety, and development and can result in a maximum punishment of up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won under Article 71 of the Child Welfare Act.

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