Son in His 60s Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Killing Mother in Her 80s with Dementia

A man in his 60s who killed his mother, who suffered from dementia, after caring for her alone for several years but ultimately succumbing to psychological distress and financial hardship has been sentenced to prison.

Gwangju District Court exterior.

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The 11th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Song-hyun) announced on April 17 that it had sentenced Park (age 63), who was arrested and indicted on charges of parricide, to six years in prison.

Park was brought to trial on charges of strangling his mother, Ms. B (in her 80s), to death at a family gravesite in Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province, at around 11:30 a.m. on January 13 of this year.

Investigations revealed that Park, as the eldest son, had supported his mother for approximately 25 years, and for the past four years, after she was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, he had taken sole responsibility for her care while working as a farmer. However, it was found that recently, as his mother's symptoms deteriorated rapidly, he experienced severe distress.

Ms. B displayed abnormal behavior, insisting on living not in the house but in the cargo bed of a truck. Following her wishes, Park arranged a place for her there but, concerned about her going missing, frequently reported her disappearance to the police by calling 112 himself. In particular, it was confirmed that in November and December of last year, he made more than 70 missing person reports each month, highlighting the desperate situation.

The court stated, "Parricide is an anti-human and anti-social crime, and as such, warrants severe condemnation and inevitable harsh punishment."

However, the court also noted, "The defendant has no prior convictions and has supported his mother throughout his life. The crime was committed impulsively while he was suffering from extreme financial and psychological distress. Considering that he is likely to live with guilt for the rest of his life, and that his siblings, as the bereaved family, have petitioned for leniency, the sentence was determined accordingly."

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