Supreme Court Confirms 15-Year Prison Sentence for Foster Mother in '15-Month-Old Infant Abuse Death' Case

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Supreme Court has upheld a 15-year prison sentence for a foster mother who starved and beat a 15-month-old girl in her care to death.

The Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Kim Jae-hyung) announced on the 24th that it confirmed the original sentence of 15 years imprisonment for Kim (40), who was charged with child abuse resulting in death and injury. The 200-hour child abuse treatment program ordered by the appellate court was also upheld.

The court stated, "There is no error in the lower court's judgment that violates the rules of logic and experience, exceeds the limits of free evaluation of evidence, or misinterprets the legal principles regarding the causal relationship and foreseeability between the abuse and the death," adding, "Considering various circumstances, the 15-year sentence cannot be deemed unfair."

Kim was charged with neglecting and frequently assaulting a 15-month-old girl in her care in 2018 because the child often had diarrhea and did not feed her. The child showed convulsions, but Kim left her unattended for 32 hours, resulting in her death. It was also investigated that Kim recorded the abuse on her mobile phone.

Additionally, the prosecution revealed that Kim repeatedly abused children under her care from 2016 to 2018.

While simultaneously fostering up to five children, Kim was accused of pushing an 18-month-old boy under a faucet with hot water causing burns and covering the mouth of a 6-month-old girl and submerging her in a bathtub. Kim admitted in the prosecution investigation that she abused the children because the foster parents did not pay the childcare fees on time.

The first trial court expressed the judiciary's determination that "such a horrific incident must not occur," sentencing Kim to 17 years in prison, exceeding the sentencing guidelines for child abuse resulting in death (6 to 10 years).

The appellate court maintained the guilty verdict, stating, "The consequences are severe, and the defendant's fault and responsibility are very great," and "Even considering various personal hardships, a strict punishment is necessary." However, considering that some victims reached settlements, the sentence was reduced to 15 years imprisonment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.