Stepmother Sentenced to 25 Years for Killing 9-Year-Old Boy Locked in Cohabiting Partner's Son's Bag

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] A 40-year-old stepmother who was tried for locking her stepson in a travel bag and stepping on him to death has been sentenced to a heavy prison term.

On the 11th, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Lee Dongwon) announced that it upheld the original sentence of 25 years in prison for Seong (41), who was indicted on charges of murder and special injury.

Seong had been on trial for confining A (then 9 years old), the son of her cohabiting partner, in a travel bag for 7 hours and stepping on him to death in July last year. At the time of A's death, the bag he was confined in measured only 44 cm in width, 60 cm in height, and 24 cm in depth.

In particular, it was investigated that Seong stepped on the bag where A was trapped and even made her two biological children jump on it. During this process, Seong also blew hot hair dryer air into the bag.

Seong's side argued that there was no intent to murder and that the charge should be child abuse resulting in death, but the first trial applied the murder charge and sentenced her to 22 years in prison. In the second trial, the murder charge was recognized and the sentence was adjusted to 25 years in prison. It is known that Seong submitted about ten letters of remorse and appeals to the appellate court, expressing regret for her wrongdoing.

Seong's side appealed, but the Supreme Court dismissed it.