Daughter Neglects Mother's Skeletonized Body for Over 2 Years... Prosecution Seeks 3-Year Prison Sentence

The prosecution has requested a prison sentence for a woman in her 40s who left her mother’s skeletonized body at home for over two years in order to continue receiving her pension.

On the 10th, at the sentencing hearing presided over by Judge Lee Eun-ju of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 14, the prosecution demanded a three-year prison term for A (47), who was charged with corpse abandonment and neglect under the Elderly Welfare Act.

The prosecution stated, "The defendant neglected her elderly mother, who suffered from diabetes, and after her death, did not carry out funeral procedures and left the body unattended for two years and five months. She also failed to report the death, thereby fraudulently receiving basic and national pensions."

A is accused of leaving the body of her mother B (76 years old at the time of death) at her villa in Namdong-gu, Incheon, from August 2020 until January of this year.

Living alone with her mother, A told the police during the investigation, "I did not report my mother’s death because I was afraid her pension payments would stop." The pension payments A received on behalf of her mother for 28 months after her death amounted to around 15 million won.

She was also investigated for neglecting her mother, who had difficulty moving on her own due to diabetes and other conditions, by failing to provide proper treatment while she was alive. The Elderly Welfare Act prohibits caregivers from neglecting basic protection or treatment for seniors aged 65 and older.

Earlier, in January, the police responded to a report from A’s younger sister, who said, "I couldn’t contact my mother and when I came to check, my sister who lives with her would not open the door." Upon arrival, the police discovered B’s skeletonized body.

40s Daughter Neglecting Mother's Corpse
Photo by Yonhap News

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