Family sentenced to prison for assaulting elderly in their 80s over building and land distribution disputes

Chuncheon District Court [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Hee-eun Park] A family member, including a 50-year-old daughter-in-law who assaulted her in-laws in their 80s during Lunar New Year over dissatisfaction with the distribution of buildings and land, was sentenced to prison.

On the 17th, Judge Jin-young Park of Chuncheon District Court Criminal Division 2 announced that A (59), the daughter-in-law prosecuted for violating the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts, etc. (joint injury to ascendants), was sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison with a 2-year probation, probation supervision, and 160 hours of community service.

Additionally, A’s daughter (33) was sentenced to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation, probation supervision, and 80 hours of community service, and A’s son (28) was sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison.

The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendants jointly committed violence against their in-laws or grandparents, sister-in-law or aunt, driven by dissatisfaction with property distribution. The nature of the crime is serious, and the content of the crime is also inhumane," and "Considering that the victims likely experienced severe physical and mental pain, shame, and humiliation."

Earlier, on February 5th of last year, at around 1:20 p.m. on Lunar New Year, A and others entered the master bedroom of the in-laws’ house in Chuncheon City and verbally abused the father-in-law B (83), saying, "Is it good to hold the ancestral rites without the eldest son?" and "Because of you, we are ruined."

Grandmother Jo (82), who tried to stop them, was pushed onto the bed, and aunt C (52), who tried to seek help from neighbors, was grabbed by the hair and thrown onto the bed.

A and her children assaulted C, saying, "Is it good to deceive the old people and consume the property?"

As a result of the incident, A’s in-laws and sister-in-law suffered bruises requiring 2 to 4 weeks of treatment and post-traumatic stress disorder requiring 8 weeks of treatment.

Investigations revealed that they committed the crime because B had gifted buildings and land to his youngest daughter and aunt C, and they demanded that the property be re-gifted to them and that the mortgage loan on the land they were to inherit be repaid.

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