30s Couple Left Children Alone for 3 Months, Prosecutors Seek Actual Sentence

Prosecutors have sought a prison sentence for a woman in her 20s who left her three children unattended for three months after running away to her mother's apartment on a different floor in the same building.

On the 20th, Chief Judge Jang Chan-soo of the Gwangju District Court held a trial for A (in her 20s), who is charged with violating the Child Welfare Act (abandonment and neglect).

A is accused of leaving her three-year-old son and two two-year-old twin sons unattended at her home in Naju, Jeollanam-do from early January this year until March 24. According to the investigation, A left the house, angered that her husband B (28) had quit his job and was not taking care of the children.

The tragic neglect situation and the children's suffering

After A left home, her husband B seriously neglected the children.

B spent the nights playing games and slept during the day, providing only one meal of baby food or formula a day to the children. Notably, the twin boys began to exhibit abnormal symptoms, including banging their heads against the wall due to extreme hunger since early March.

Neighbors complained about the noise coming from the apartment, but B took no action.

Even more shockingly, B used government child allowances for purchasing game items and his own food delivery expenses.

The inside of the house was piled with garbage and emitted a foul odor, while the children lived in bedding that smelled of urine. The twins' nails were even unkempt, and for three months, there was no basic protection or nurturing provided, such as going outside, playing, or education.

After their rescue, hospital examinations confirmed that the children suffered from weight loss and developmental delays.

Currently, the children have been placed in a childcare facility.

Court testimonies and the judge's reprimand

During the trial, prosecutors sought a two-year prison sentence for A.

A expressed remorse, stating, "My husband quit his job and my future seemed bleak, so I left home. I made a serious mistake and had very wrong thoughts."

In response, Judge Jang Chan-soo harshly criticized, "Why should innocent children bear the brunt of their parents' quarrels? The children were nearly in grave danger."

When A mentioned that she did not receive proper care from her parents during her childhood, the judge pressed, "Were you sad because your parents didn’t take care of you? What will happen to your children as they grow up?" urging sincere reflection.

The sentencing hearing for the couple is scheduled to be held at the Gwangju District Court on July 9.

Previously, prosecutors had sought a three-year prison sentence for husband B, who was charged with the same offense on the 30th of last month.

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