Life Sentence Requested for Mother Who Starved and Beat 4-Year-Old Daughter to Death

The prosecution has demanded a life sentence for a woman in her 20s who abused her 4-year-old daughter to death after the child asked for food, saying she was hungry.

On the 10th, at the conclusion of the trial of Ms. A held before the Criminal Division 6 of the Busan District Court, the prosecution requested a life sentence and a fine of 5 million won. The prosecution also asked the court to impose a 20-year electronic monitoring order, a 5-year probation order, completion of a child abuse treatment program, and a 10-year employment restriction at related institutions on Ms. A.

Ms. A was brought to trial on charges of repeatedly assaulting her daughter B (4) on the face and body at their residence in Geumjeong-gu, Busan, around 6 a.m. on December 14 last year, resulting in the child’s death.

According to the prosecution’s indictment, Ms. A fed the child only formula mixed with water once a day for six months despite the child saying, "I’m hungry, please give me food," while she herself dined out without concern. At the time of death, the child was 87 cm tall and weighed less than 7 kg, about half the weight of peers, leading responding police officers to initially suspect malnutrition as the cause of death.

Due to the abuse by her biological mother, B showed symptoms of strabismus, and despite the hospital’s recommendation for optic nerve surgery, no measures were taken. Eventually, B’s condition worsened to the point where she could barely distinguish light and dark, effectively losing her sight.

On December 14, the day B died, abuse and assault continued from 6 a.m. Ms. A repeatedly hit B’s head against the bed frame because B kept touching her belongings.

Around 11 a.m., B had a seizure with foam coming from her mouth while lying with her legs stretched out, but Ms. A took no action for over five hours. It was only around 4:30 p.m. that Ms. A massaged B’s body with a hot pack, but B passed away around 6 p.m. that day.

The prosecution stated, "It is questionable whether Ms. A’s actions can be considered those of a parent or even a human being. The physical and mental suffering the victim child must have felt was unimaginably severe," and added, "We believe the defendant needs permanent isolation from society," explaining the reason for requesting a life sentence.

In her final statement, Ms. A wiped away tears and briefly said, "I will live my life atoning to my daughter."

Ms. A’s defense attorney appealed for leniency, saying, "Ms. A’s path to committing this crime was influenced by an unfortunate family environment where she had no family or friends to confide in, and she experienced continuous pressure and mental distress from her surrounding circumstances."

The first trial sentencing for Ms. A is scheduled for the morning of the 24th.

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