2-Month-Old Baby Found Dead Inside Apartment Freezer, Mother Arrested For Child Abuse

A woman in South Korea was arrested after her 2-month-old baby's body was found inside a freezer at her apartment.

The child appeared to be the twin brother of the woman's now 2-year-old daughter. Investigators in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, said Tuesday the child's body might have been kept in the freezer since his death.

The mother was charged with child abuse and abandonment of a corpse.

The child's body was sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death and to find out if there were any signs of physical abuse at the time of the infant's death.

The incident came to light on Nov. 10 when the woman's neighbor raised a complaint against her for neglecting her two children, aged 2 and 7, the Korean Herald reported.

During preliminary investigation, police found potential signs of abuse on both the children. They were sent to a child care facility for temporary protection. The 7-year-old child reportedly told staff at the facility his sister had a twin brother. Police immediately launched an investigation and searched the woman's house. On Thursday, they found the body of the dead baby inside the freezer.

While the woman's identity has not been revealed, local reports said she was likely a single mother who worked overnight and had to leave the children alone at home. The birth of her twin children was also unregistered, the Korean Herald reported.

In a similar incident last month in Russia, the body of a newborn baby boy was found inside a freezer after his mother left him to die to hide her pregnancy. The 14-year-old reportedly gave birth to the boy at home without anyone’s help. Fearing her parents will find out about her pregnancy, she placed the baby inside a bag and put him in the freezer.

The girl was taken to a hospital by her parents where she confessed to giving birth, and admitted to hiding the child in the freezer. However, by the time people reached the scene to rescue the baby, the boy had frozen to death.