Stepmother Who Abused and Killed 12-Year-Old Stepson Covered in Bruises... What Was the Verdict in the First Trial Where Death Penalty Was Sought?

Prosecution Sets Sentence Referencing 'Jeong-in Case'
Husband Also Sentenced for 'Habitual Child Abuse' Charges

Attention is focused on what verdict the court will deliver regarding the stepmother who was sentenced to death for abusing her 12-year-old stepson to the point of being covered in bruises, resulting in his death. The Incheon District Court Criminal Division 15 (Chief Judge Ryu Ho-jung) will hold the sentencing hearing for A (43), who was indicted on charges including child abuse homicide under the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, at 2 p.m. on the 25th.

Earlier, at the sentencing hearing held last month, the prosecution stated, "The defendant's method of crime was brutal," and added, "The recommended sentence is imprisonment for more than 20 years or life imprisonment, but referring to the 'Jung-in case,' which has similar facts, the prosecution requested the death penalty, the highest sentence under the law, for A." The sentencing hearing for B (40), A's husband, who was indicted on charges including habitual child abuse under the Child Welfare Act, will also be held on the same day. The prosecution requested a 10-year prison sentence for him.

A was arrested and indicted on charges of repeatedly beating her stepson C (12) over 50 times, causing his death, during an 11-month period from March last year to early February this year in the apartment she lived in Namdong-gu, Incheon.

She often forced C to kneel for long periods as punishment, claiming he did not properly copy Bible verses, stabbed his thigh with a pencil, and beat his entire body with an aluminum rod and other objects. Two days before his death, C was blindfolded with clothes and had his hands and feet tied to a chair with curtain cords for 16 hours, during which A monitored him from outside the room using a 'home cam' similar to CCTV.

Stepmother (left) who abused a 12-year-old elementary school student and biological father
Photo by Yonhap News

After A suffered a miscarriage in April last year, she increasingly abused C, directing all her resentment toward him. B was also indicted for abusing C 15 times, including beating him with a drumstick from April 2021 to last January, and for neglecting to intervene despite knowing about A's abuse.

Due to prolonged and repeated abuse from his parents, C's weight dropped from 38 kg at age 10 to 29.5 kg, and bruises and wounds were found all over his body at the time of death. On the day C died, B went to work in the morning but returned home after receiving a call from his wife saying, "The child's condition seems bad," and reported to 119. C was transported to a nearby hospital in cardiac arrest but passed away.

Initially, during police investigations, the couple denied abuse, claiming the bruises on C's body were self-inflicted injuries. However, under further police questioning, they admitted to hitting the child because he did not obey but insisted it was for disciplinary purposes and that they did not realize it was abuse. From November 24 last year until his death, C was continuously absent from school and was under close supervision by educational authorities.

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