[Sorry Jeong In] No Apology Letter from Adoptive Parents... Likely to Dispute Guilt or Innocence

Jang Mo, the adoptive mother accused of abusing and causing the death of a 16-month-old adopted child, is seen leaving the courthouse after a pre-trial detention hearing at the Seoul Southern District Court in November last year.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Seongpil Jo, Byeongdon Yoo] The adoptive parents who abused Jeong-in, causing her death at 16 months old, have reportedly never submitted a letter of remorse to the court. They also denied the charges during the investigation. Legal circles interpret this as "an indication that they intend to thoroughly contest the prosecution's allegations."

Even During Investigation, They Claimed "No Abuse, Discipline Only"

According to a compilation of reports on the 6th, Jeong-in's adoptive mother Jang and adoptive father Ahn have not submitted any letter of remorse to the presiding court for nearly a month since being indicted on charges including child abuse resulting in death on the 8th of last month. Whether or not a letter of remorse is submitted significantly influences sentencing, as remorse is seen as a sign of not reoffending. Defendants in criminal cases often submit multiple letters of remorse to the court for this reason.

It is known that Jang and others denied the charge of abuse resulting in death during the police investigation that began in October last year. They reportedly stated that "after adoption, they did not easily develop affection for Jeong-in and experienced stress during childcare, but there was no abuse." They claimed it was "a form of discipline involving corporal punishment and neglect." At that time, Jang also sent messages to acquaintances expressing that "it is painful and maddening not even to have time to mourn the child's death due to suspicion." They showed no attitude of remorse until the end.

The appearance of Jeong-in before adoption (left) and after adoption (right). Photo source = SBS 'Unanswered Questions' capture

Legal Circles: "They Intend to Claim Not Guilty of Abuse Resulting in Death"

Jang and others are expected to maintain this position at the trial starting on the 13th at the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 13 (Presiding Judge Shin Hyukjae). Criminal trials are battles over whether the act was committed or not. If defendants admit the charges, sentencing is considered, but if they deny them, the facts of the charges are examined. If the prosecution fails to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt during this process, a not guilty verdict may be issued. A lawyer in Seocho-dong analyzed, "Denying the charges is necessary to contest guilt or innocence," adding, "Jang and others not submitting letters of remorse is closely related to this."

Denying charges in court can also work against the defendants. Jang was previously detained after denying the charges during the pre-trial detention hearing (warrant review) in November last year. At that time, Judge Sung Bogi, who was in charge of the warrant review at the Seoul Southern District Court, issued the detention warrant citing "risk of flight and evidence tampering." Although the charges were substantiated, Jang's denial of the crime led the judge to believe that releasing her could result in evidence destruction.

Memorial messages, flowers, and gifts have been placed at the Hi Family Andersen Park Cemetery in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, where Jeong-in, who died at 16 months old due to abuse by her adoptive parents, is laid to rest.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Possibility of Requesting Psychological Evaluation... "Likely to Become an Issue"

There is also a possibility that Jang's side will request a psychological evaluation in court in the future. This would be to argue that she was psychologically unstable and had impaired judgment at the time of the crime. During the investigation, Jang sent messages to acquaintances stating, "Jeong-in is a troublemaker; I have been trying to endure a million times but am now suffering from stress-related illness." Jang's mother recently also stated that "my daughter had difficulty controlling her emotions."

If the court accepts this request, Jang will undergo a psychological evaluation. If abnormalities are found, the court will consider whether this should be taken into account during sentencing. A judge from the Judicial Research and Training Institute said, "The results of the psychological evaluation will become another key issue in this trial." Jang previously received a psychological evaluation in 2019 for Jeong-in's adoption and was found to have "no abnormalities."

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