Court Sentences Woman to 22 Years for Imprisonment and Murder of Cohabiting Partner's Son in Travel Bag (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] A woman in her 40s who was arrested and indicted for confining her cohabiting partner’s 9-year-old son in a travel bag for nearly 7 hours, resulting in his death, was sentenced to 22 years in prison with the court applying a murder charge.

The Criminal Division 1 of Cheonan Branch Court of Daejeon District Court (Presiding Judge Chae Daewon) sentenced A (41) to 22 years in prison on the 16th in a sentencing trial for charges including murder and violation of the Child Welfare Act.

The court stated, “It appears that the victim died as a result of a series of the defendant’s actions, and the defendant is recognized to have had an indirect intent to kill,” applying the murder charge to A and ruling accordingly.

It added, “When the biological father saw the wounds on the victim’s body and said he wanted to live separately, the defendant sought ways to avoid leaving traces, escalating from assault to murder,” and “The crime is not only brutal but also shows no sympathy for the child, only anger.”

Furthermore, “Although the defendant submitted multiple letters of apology, they consistently excused their actions by claiming the victim lied to break their spirit, raising doubts about whether they are truly remorseful,” the court added.

Earlier, the prosecution requested a life sentence and a 20-year order to attach a location tracking device at the sentencing hearing held on the 31st of last month, stating, “The defendant thoroughly disregarded the victim’s dignity and life by compressing the 23kg victim in a narrow bag with a force up to 160kg,” and “This case involves both acts and omissions reflecting indirect intent to kill.”

Meanwhile, A was arrested and indicted on suspicion of causing the death of B (9), the son of her cohabiting partner, at an apartment in Cheonan city around noon on June 1. A is accused of confining B in a travel bag for about 3 hours, then in an even smaller bag for nearly 4 hours, ultimately causing his death from 'hypoxic brain injury.'

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