A woman in her 30s was detained Saturday after two babies were found dead in her home freezer, police said Sunday.
According to Busan Nambu Police Station, the 34-year-old suspect, surnamed Kim, confessed to giving birth to both of the infants -- one in 2016 and the other in 2014 -- and keeping their dead bodies in the freezer for more than two years. But she denied murdering them.
A home freezer that two infant babies were found dead in Nam-gu, Busan (Photo courtesy of the Busan Nambu Police Station)
The case, resembling the 2006 “freezer baby” incident involving a French mom in Seoul, was brought to light by a sister of Kim’s co-habiting boyfriend, who visited Kim’s home and found one of the babies in a plastic bag in the freezer.
According to police investigators, Kim confessed during questioning to hiding another baby to conceal the fact that she had given birth as an unwed woman.
She told the police that she gave birth at home and fainted from the labor. When she woke up, the baby was dead.
Police said the baby born last year is believed to have died two days after the birth and the other died as soon as she was born.
Police plan to ask for forensic autopsy Monday. They also requested a warrant Sunday to formally arrest the suspect.
Kim’s co-habitant denied any involvement in the crime, saying he started living with her in April last year, which was after she gave birth. He also said he did not know of Kim’s pregnancies.
By Byun Hee-jin (hjbandi9@heraldcorp.com)