Police order travel ban for YouTuber and medical staff involved in abortion of 36-week-old fetus

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Police order travel ban for YouTuber and medical staff involved in abortion of 36-week-old fetus

Published: 27 Aug. 2024, 16:08 Updated: 27 Aug. 2024, 17:16

A woman shows her belly in a video where she details the experience of terminating a nine-month pregnancy. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Police imposed a travel ban on a YouTuber who posted a controversial video documenting her abortion of a 36-week-old fetus.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that the YouTuber and five medical staff who took part in the abortion operation are banned from leaving the country.

This announcement comes after the police booked the YouTuber and the head of the hospital on murder charges on Aug. 12. Four other medical staff members, including an anesthesiologist, were booked on charges of abetting murder on Friday.

Police launched an investigation after the YouTuber — who introduced herself as in her 20s — posted a vlog about getting an abortion in the 36th week of pregnancy and claimed that she did not know about her pregnancy until that stage. The video was taken down just days after it was posted, but public controversy arose, with many questioning the video's authenticity and citing the criminal nature of such a late-stage abortion.

"We imposed the travel ban, as it would be inappropriate for those under investigation to leave the country," an official said, noting that there could be a delay in the investigation if the defendants under police investigation were to leave the country.

During two raids on the hospital, police seized a stillbirth certificate in which the doctor said that the abortion was performed after a natural stillbirth, as well as a cremation certificate issued on July 13, weeks after the abortion was performed on June 25.

The fetus's body was kept at the hospital for weeks, and police plan to look into why that happened.

The hospital is also accused of violating the Medical Service Act due to the absence of surveillance cameras in operating rooms.

CCTV cameras are required in the operating rooms of hospitals performing surgeries on unconscious patients, such as those under anesthesia, following an amendment to the Medical Service Act that took effect in June last year.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]