Stepmother Who Brutally Assaulted and Killed 13-Year-Old Stepdaughter Faces First Application of the 'Jeong In Act'

Sent to Prosecution on Charges Including Child Abuse and Homicide

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police have applied charges of child abuse resulting in death to a stepmother who fatally beat her 13-year-old daughter and have referred the case to the prosecution. This is the first case applying the revised Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (commonly known as the ‘Jeong-in Act’), which was enacted earlier this year.

The Women and Juvenile Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced on the 2nd that they have sent stepmother A (40) to the prosecution on charges of habitual child abuse and child abuse resulting in death.

According to the police, A was found to have abused B (13) a total of four times from last summer until mid-June this year. A kicked B’s stomach with her foot and pushed her down, citing reasons such as marital conflicts, discord with her in-laws, B’s disobedience, and slow behavior. A also suffered from severe alcohol dependence, drinking about every other day.

The abuse worsened after A separated from her husband in March due to marital discord. On the day of the incident, around 9 p.m. on the 22nd of last month, after a severe argument with her husband over child-rearing issues on the phone, A brutally beat B for about two hours, hitting and stepping on her hands and feet. Although B was smaller in stature compared to her peers, A was physically larger, leaving B with no effective means to resist, according to the police.

Afterward, A realized her daughter was in critical condition and contacted her estranged husband. The husband arrived around 2 a.m. the next day and struggled with A before calling 119 at 4:16 a.m. When he arrived, B was already deceased. An autopsy revealed that B died from internal organ damage caused by external trauma. A was immediately arrested at the scene.

The police determined that A’s failure to properly report and her neglect despite knowing B’s severe condition constituted implied intent, applying charges of child abuse resulting in death. Under the law, child abuse resulting in death is punishable by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment of seven years or more. Besides the deceased B, A lived with three other children: an elementary school student and two preschoolers. A police official stated, "The two younger siblings of the deceased daughter are being cared for by their father and grandfather," adding, "They are receiving psychological treatment and attending after-school programs for protection."

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