Infanticide Case Focusing on Mom’s ID

Police investigating the case of two dead infants found at a Frenchman’s house in Seorae Village in southern Seoul said on July 31 that it had urged the man, known as C, to return to Korea through various channels, as he was found to be their father through DNA testing.

The police are waiting for the result of the DNA testing of a Filipino maid of the house, only known as L.

Who is the Mother? Still Unidentified -

The maid is not likely a suspect at present, and there’s not much chance of her being the mother, given she is 49, and voluntarily returned to Korea.

A source in the National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) said, “We are examining a DNA sample extracted from the cells inside the mouth, umbilical cords, a toothbrush, and a towel of the maid. We will get the result a day or two later.”

The police is expanding the investigation by seeking for the whereabouts of a white girl, aged about 14, who had been seen in front of the house, the Frenchman’s wife, and another woman, possibly involved in the case.

Were the Two Babies Twins?-

Although the police think the bodies were highly likely to be twins, it is waiting for the DNA testing result to make sure. A researcher in the NISI said, “Fraternal twins have different genes. In that case, the mother’s DNA will determine if they are twins or not.”

Also, the researcher said, “We do not know exactly if the bodies are mixed-blood as genetic distinctions between races are not clear.”

Will Mr. C Return to Korea?-

The police said that it had unofficially asked the French resident’s company to encourage him to return as soon as possible, and officially sought the cooperation of the French Embassy in Korea and the Korean Embassy in France for his return.

However, no remarkable progress has been made so far. Some people blame the police for allowing the man to depart from Korea. The police said, however, that there had not been any reason to ban him from leaving when he left.

peacechaos@donga.com