When Mom Hit 2,000 Times at the Temple... The Son Died Without Resistance

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Ju Cheol-in] A woman in her 60s who brutally assaulted her 30-year-old biological son at a temple in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, resulting in his death, was sentenced to seven years in prison by the court.

The Daegu District Court’s 12th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Lee Gyu-cheol) announced on the 21st that A (63), who was tried on charges of killing her biological son (then 35 years old) by beating him, was sentenced to seven years in prison.

A is accused of striking her son B’s head and other parts about 2,200 times with a bamboo stick and her feet at a temple in Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongbuk, on August 28 last year. The so-called corporal punishment under the pretext of a ‘love’s rod’ continued for as long as two hours and thirty minutes.

After reviewing the temple’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, the investigation authorities found that B did not resist at all while being assaulted by his mother but only begged for forgiveness. However, A continued the beating even after her son collapsed and lost consciousness.

An autopsy requested from the National Forensic Service determined that B’s cause of death was ‘subcutaneous tissue shock death.’ He had no underlying illnesses or chronic conditions. A, his mother, was arrested and indicted in March.

On this day, the court explained that based on the CCTV evidence and other materials, it was difficult to conclude that A had ‘dolus eventualis’ (conditional intent) regarding murder, and thus applied the charge of ‘injury resulting in death’ rather than ‘murder’.

The court stated the sentencing rationale: “The defendant’s son suffered physical and mental pain for a prolonged period (about two hours and thirty minutes) due to the assault and died, making the outcome severe and the culpability heavy. Although the victim’s father demands strict punishment, considering that the defendant admitted the crime and repented, and that she must live with the lifelong guilt of losing her son, these factors were comprehensively taken into account.”

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