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A caregiver in his 50s who tried to feed a 16-month-old child who was caring for him without sleeping in the early morning was found guilty of trying to feed him with formula, a drug prescribed by a neurologist in the past.
Incheon District Court 9th Criminal Justice Kim Jin-won announced today (23rd) that he sentenced a childcare worker A (55, female), who was charged with child abuse under the Child Welfare Act, to six months in prison and two years of probation.
Judge Kim also ordered Mr. A to take 40 hours of child abuse prevention lectures and 160 hours of community service, and restricted him from working in child-related organizations for 3 years.
At about 3:45 am on November 13, last year, at a residential area in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Mr. A was charged with trying to feed group B, who was 16 months old, after using formula he had prescribed in the past.
It was investigated that he committed a crime out of anger when group B cried without sleeping at dawn.
Person A with epilepsy in the past cut the medication prescribed by the neurological hospital into quarters and put it in a milk bottle, and tried to force the nipple into the mouth of group B twice.
Mr. A's milk powder is an 'anti-epileptic drug' that calms epilepsy and partial seizures, and is also used as an 'anti-anxiety drug' to take when panic attacks occur.
He was hired as a caretaker at Army B's house since November 9 last year, and committed the crime five days after starting work.
Judge Kim said, "The defendant, who was a nanny, was physically abusive, such as trying to feed the 16-month-old victim by putting an anti-anxiety medicine in a formula bottle when the victim did not sleep at dawn. I didn't even get forgiveness from my parents."
However, he explained the reason for the sentencing, saying, "The accused is reflecting on his wrongdoing while confessing to the crime. Fortunately, the victim did not drink formula filled with medicine, and there were no abnormalities in his body," he said.
(Photo = Yonhap News)