12-Year-Old Weighed 29kg... Stepmother Sentenced to 30 Years for Abusing Stepson to Death

Sentence Increased by 13 Years from Original 17-Year Term

The stepmother who abused her 12-year-old stepson to death has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, with the sentence now finalized.

According to Yonhap News on April 18, the Supreme Court's Second Division (Presiding Justice Kwon Youngjun) on March 27 upheld the lower court's ruling, confirming a 30-year prison sentence for Lee (45), who was indicted on charges including violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (child abuse resulting in death).

Lee was accused of abusing her stepson 50 times over 11 months?between March 9, 2022, and February 7, 2023?at an apartment in Namdong-gu, Incheon, including repeated beatings, ultimately resulting in his death.

Stepmother A and biological father B, accused of abusing and causing the death of their 12-year-old elementary school son, entered the Incheon District Court on the morning of February 10, 2023, to undergo a pre-arrest detention hearing. Photo by Yonhap News

Due to the parents' repeated abuse, the victim's weight dropped from 38 kg at age 10 to 29.5 kg at age 12, just before his death. This weight corresponds to the average for children aged 8 to 9, meaning the victim was severely underweight for his age. Bruises and wounds were also found on the victim's body at the time of death.

Initially, both the first and second trial courts sentenced Lee to 17 years in prison. Although prosecutors argued that the more serious charge of child abuse resulting in death should apply, the courts at the time determined that Lee had not intentionally killed the child and instead convicted her of the lesser charge of child abuse resulting in death by negligence, resulting in a lighter sentence.

However, the Supreme Court reached a different conclusion. In July of last year, the Supreme Court overturned the previous ruling and remanded the case, stating, "There is a strong possibility that at least indirect intent (dolus eventualis) for child abuse resulting in death existed."

The Seoul High Court, which handled the retrial following the Supreme Court's decision, re-examined the case and, in January of this year, found Lee guilty of child abuse resulting in death, sentencing her to 30 years in prison. The court stated, "Despite fully recognizing the risk or possibility of death due to severe abuse, Lee continued the abuse and harsh punishment, leading to the victim's death."

Lee appealed this decision, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, stating, "Considering the various factors that determine sentencing, even taking into account the extenuating circumstances raised in the appeal, it cannot be said that the lower court's sentence of 30 years is excessively unjust."

Meanwhile, the biological father, A, who neglected to intervene despite being aware of Lee's abuse, was previously sentenced to three years in prison, with the sentence now finalized.

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