A 29-year-old mother in Incheon has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for leaving her 19-month-old daughter unattended without proper nutrition, causing her death from severe malnutrition. The Incheon District Court's 14th Criminal Division delivered the verdict, convicting her of child abuse resulting in death instead of child abuse homicide.

The victim weighed a mere 4.7 kilograms at death—less than half the average for her age. Investigations revealed the mother withheld food for up to 67 hours and abandoned the toddler at home for 92 out of 120 hours right before her death while visiting amusement parks and saunas. She also faced separate charges for physically abusing her older daughter.

Despite the severe neglect, the court ruled out murder charges, citing the mother's borderline intellectual functioning. Psychological evaluations showed she lacked proper parenting awareness and general knowledge. The court noted she tried buying expensive formula after noticing the child's thin frame and that medical opinions confirmed formula can sustain life, suggesting her actions stemmed from intellectual limitations rather than murderous intent.

While acknowledging her heavy culpability, the court also criticized the lack of practical public oversight. Although receiving over 3 million won monthly in state subsidies as a single parent, there was no active monitoring of the child's nutrition or parenting education.

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