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Nursing assistant sentenced to 14 months for abusing newborns in Cheongju

Published: 22 Jun. 2025, 15:11 Updated: 22 Jun. 2025, 16:41

Stock image of a newborn baby [YONHAP]

A nursing assistant at a postnatal care facility in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for repeatedly abusing newborns, some as young as four days old.

According to legal sources on Sunday, the Cheongju District Court sentenced the 45-year-old to one year and two months in prison for violating the Child Welfare Act. The court also ordered her to complete 40 hours of child abuse rehabilitation therapy and banned her from working at child-related institutions for three years.

The defendant had been employed at the postpartum care center since May 2024 and was found to have physically abused newborns in at least 45 separate incidents over two months.

The court found that she slapped the face of a four-day-old infant, forcefully put infants down, and, in some instances, stuffed handkerchiefs into their mouths to stop them from crying. She also lifted newborns without supporting their necks, posing serious safety risks. Police said she told investigators that she was physically exhausted and irritated by the babies’ crying.

Although the court condemned the severity of her actions, it did not order immediate detention, citing the fact that she has a young child and is the sole caregiver.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]