Acquittals of university hospital doctors, nurses in deaths of 4 newborns upheld

SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court on Wednesday upheld the not-guilty verdicts of seven doctors and nurses at Ewha Womans University Medical Center in the case of deaths of four newborns by bacterial infection in December 2017.

The Seoul High Court said it found the four doctors and three nurses at the university hospital not guilty of death by occupational negligence over the deaths of the newborns, upholding earlier lower court sentences handed in January of last year.

On Dec. 15, 2017, four infants died within a span of two hours while being treated in the intensive care unit of the general hospital in western Seoul. Forensic results later showed that their deaths were all caused by citrobacter freundii, bacteria which can cause fatal symptoms in immunocompromised patients, including infants.

The seven were later referred to trial on charges of death by occupational negligence.

The appeals court ruled that the prosecution's case was based on speculation and comprised arguments that excluded elements that were in favor of the defendants.

The court added that while there was a high probability that the deaths were caused by bacterial contamination of the blood, it "could not sentence a guilty verdict when there "clearly existed other unignorable possibilities."

odissy@yna.co.kr
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