The baby born in August 2022 brought "anxiety" rather than a "blessing."

The baby was born without any medical assistance in the bathroom of an apartment in Gangwon Province, not at a hospital.

The biological mother was only 14 years old at the time.

Having never received a single prenatal checkup throughout her pregnancy, she gave birth alone to a child fathered by her ex-boyfriend without even knowing the exact gestational age.

Although born prematurely, the baby never crossed the threshold of a hospital before ending its life.

Person A (27), who was in their early twenties at the time, and the biological mother B, a minor, decided to raise the baby at Person A's home without even filing a birth registration.

This was because they feared that B's identity would be exposed as she was wanted under the Probation Act.

Despite raising a pet dog inside the house without taking adequate hygiene measures, the two lived with the baby on the bed they used.

The baby frequently fell off the bed while sleeping, resulting in swollen eyes and a worsening health condition, but the two did not take the baby to a hospital.

Neglected without any medical treatment or professional care, the baby ultimately died in late October of the same year.

Even after the baby died, the primary concern for the two was "the exposure of B's wanted status."

Fearing that reporting the death to the police, handing the body over to a hospital, or holding a normal funeral would reveal her wanted status and lead to her arrest, the two decided to conceal even the baby's death.

In the early hours of the day after the baby died, Person A and B placed the body in a box and buried it directly in the ground under a bridge.

Person A, who was detained over this incident, received a final ruling of 1 year and 6 months in prison suspended for 2 years for the abandonment of a corpse.

Person B, who was a minor at the time, was referred to the juvenile division.

However, the legal responsibilities of the two surrounding the baby's death did not end there.

Considering that the two were also responsible for failing to provide the necessary medical measures and an appropriate rearing environment for the baby born prematurely, investigative authorities brought them to court once again in October of last year on charges of child abuse resulting in death under the Child Abuse Punishment Act and abandonment and neglect under the Child Welfare Act.

The first instance court reprimanded Person A, stating, "Even though you had an obligation to protect B's child healthily and safely once you decided to protect them, the victimized child tragically ended its life at just over two months old due to acts of abandonment and neglect."

However, taking into account the circumstances such as assuming the duty of protection toward the victimized child while cohabiting with B and the fact that Person A was not the biological father, the court sentenced Person A to 3 years in prison with execution suspended for 5 years.

For Person B, the court determined that rather than punishment through a regular criminal trial, it was more desirable to guide and discipline her to grow into a sound member of society through careful protection and reformation considering juvenile characteristics, and thus referred her to the juvenile division.

With the prosecution, which had demanded an 8-year prison sentence in the first trial, appealing on the grounds that the sentence was too lenient and unfair, Person A will face the judgment of the law once again.

The first appeal trial is held today (September 16).

(Photo: Yonhap News)