[Summary] "Not giving proper meals, beating, and forcing to eat feces"... Couple sentenced to 30 years for abusing and killing their 8-year-old daughter

Since 2018, Daughter Habitually Abused
Beaten for Urinary and Fecal Accidents, Starved for 1-2 Days
Died Last March... Emaciated Due to Nutritional Deficiency

Stepfather (left) and biological mother indicted on charges of repeatedly abusing and causing the death of their 8-year-old daughter / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] The prosecution has demanded prison sentences for a woman in her 20s and her stepfather who were tried on charges of brutally abusing their 8-year-old daughter to death. Earlier, it was revealed that they had beaten or starved their elementary school-aged daughter for not controlling her bladder and bowels, and even played games after seeing the child collapsed in the bathroom, causing shock.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 25th at the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 15 (Presiding Judge Lee Gyu-hoon), the prosecution demanded 30 years imprisonment each for the biological mother A (28) and her husband B (27), who were indicted on charges including murder and habitual child abuse under the Child Welfare Act.

The prosecution stated, "The defendants, as the biological mother and stepfather, did not provide even basic meals to the young victim," adding, "They made no effort to correct the victim's incontinence, and brutally beat her all over with fists and hangers, even forcing her to eat her own excrement."

They further explained the reason for the sentencing request, saying, "The fear the victim must have felt is unimaginable. Who will comfort the mental trauma of the (remaining) son (the victim's older brother) who witnessed the abuse?"

At the court on that day, A apologized in her final statement, saying, "I am sorry to the (deceased) baby," and bowed her head, adding, "I am sorry for sending the older child to a (protective) facility."

Her husband B said, "I disciplined my daughter under the pretext of training. Looking back, it was clear abuse that should not have happened," and added, "I am very sorry to my daughter and will live with remorse for the rest of my life."

This couple continuously abused their daughter, a third-grade elementary school student, by hitting her with fists and hangers, and withholding food and water for one to two days. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

The couple A is accused of abusing their third-grade elementary school daughter C to death on March 2 at a villa in Jung-gu, Incheon. At the time of death, C had bruises all over her face, arms, and legs, and was emaciated to the point of suspected malnutrition.

Her weight was estimated to be around 15 kg, about 10 kg less than peers, and there was evidence that she was still using diapers until shortly before her death.

Investigations revealed that the couple began abusing C from January 2018. They abused her 35 times until early March, beating her with fists and hangers for reasons such as lying or not properly controlling her bladder and bowels.

From August last year, they fed her plain rice without side dishes or starved her by not giving any food or water for one to two days. As a result, from December last year, C was unable to eat by herself, and her health deteriorated to the point that her complexion changed.

Two days before C's death, she was given no food or water at all. A reportedly stripped her daughter naked after seeing her urinate in clothes in the living room, showered her with cold water, and left her without drying for about two hours. At that time, B was confirmed to have played mobile games in the living room with their son D (9) despite seeing C collapsed in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, when C did not get up, the couple belatedly moved her to a room and attempted artificial respiration. When her pulse weakened, they broke the hanger used during abuse and threw it out the veranda, and tried to cover up the crime by coordinating their stories, saying they hit her about five times.

Meanwhile, A had C and D with her ex-husband. She divorced in 2017 and later married B.