"Still My Child..." Parents Plead for Leniency for Son Who Threatened Assault and Murder

Court: "Victim Parents Do Not Wish for Punishment"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A man who assaulted his parents with a blunt weapon and threatened to kill them received a suspended sentence following his parents' request for leniency.

The Criminal Division 13 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Sang-ju) announced on the 11th that it sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 30s indicted on charges of attempted parricide and threats against his parents, to 2 years and 6 months in prison with a 4-year suspension.

Mr. A was brought to trial for allegedly visiting his parents' home in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, last December, threatening "I will kill my father," and hitting his mother, who tried to stop him, with a frying pan. The mother, who was struck multiple times on the head and shoulders, suffered traumatic subdural hemorrhage and other injuries, fainted, regained consciousness, and fled outside the house.

It was also investigated that Mr. A sent threatening text messages to his father, instructing him to "take mother to the hospital and come home alone." While preparing for additional crimes and waiting for his father's return, Mr. A was arrested by police who arrived first at the house following a report.

Investigations revealed that Mr. A had harbored hostility since childhood due to frequent humiliating remarks from his father, and became enraged and committed the crime after hearing his father say during a phone call that he would "cut ties."

Thanks to a petition submitted by the victims, his parents, Mr. A avoided a prison sentence.

The mother, seriously injured by her son's crime, and the father, who was threatened with death, submitted a petition to the court after Mr. A was indicted, requesting leniency for the defendant. The petition also stated that Mr. A suffered from a mental disorder and that the family would unite to support his treatment and reintegration into normal society.

The court explained its ruling, saying, "The crime committed against the victims, who are the parents, is inhumane and highly condemnable," but also considered "the victims' desire not to punish the defendant and the fact that the defendant has no prior criminal record."