Appellate Court Panel Finds Defendant's Claims Unreliable
"Committed Heinous Crimes and Falsely Accused Father of Sexual Assault"
On the 20th, the Criminal Division 3 of the Daejeon High Court overturned the original not guilty verdict in the appeal case against Ms. A (52, female) on charges of injury and death of a lineal ascendant, sentencing her to 5 years in prison. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A woman in her 50s, who was acquitted in the first trial on charges of beating her father in his 90s to death, was sentenced to five years in prison and taken into custody in the appellate trial.
On the 20th, The Criminal Division 3 of the Daejeon High Court overturned the original acquittal in the appeal trial of Ms. A (52, female) on charges of injury resulting in death of a direct ascendant, stating, "She committed a disgraceful crime and falsely accused her father of being a sexual offender," and sentenced her to five years in prison.
Earlier, Ms. A was indicted on charges of beating her father (then 93 years old) to death with a blunt object after an argument while drinking at home in May 2019.
During the investigation, Ms. A denied the charges, but in the first trial court, she claimed, "I did not want to speak for my father's honor, but in fact, it was self-defense that occurred during the process of resisting when my father tried to sexually assault me."
The first trial court said, "There are suspicious parts regarding the reason for the defendant's reversal of testimony," but considering "the circumstances of the incident, the relationship with the victim, the reason for the defendant's change of statement, and the fact that the defendant also had bruises," it acquitted Ms. A.
However, the prosecution appealed, and the case was sent back to the court. The appellate court judged that the original ruling was wrong. Since only the defendant and the victim were at the scene, the credibility of the defendant's testimony was important, but the claim that she was willing to accept punishment for the sake of her deceased father's honor was unconvincing.
Contrary to the defendant's testimony that "the victim had taken off his shirt," bloodstains were found on the victim's upper body wounds, and bloodstains on the defendant's skirt, which she claimed was "in a removed state," also undermined the credibility of the defendant's testimony.
The court explained the sentencing reason, saying, "It is questionable why the defendant suddenly decided to reverse her testimony after about eight months from the crime to the indictment without claiming self-defense," and "It is also difficult to understand the claim that she decided to reveal the truth because her family seemed to treat her coldly."
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