"Because of You, My Younger Brother Can't Get Married"… Woman Kills Mother in a Fit of Rage

Court. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A woman in her 50s who strangled her mother to death because she was scolded was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the appellate court as well.

Today (21st), the Jeonju Division 1 of the Gwangju High Court Criminal Department (Chief Judge Seongju Kim) announced that it dismissed both the defendant's and the prosecutor's appeals in the appellate trial of A (54), who was charged with killing a direct ascendant, and upheld the original sentence of 12 years in prison.

A had been living alone in Gyeonggi Province after a divorce over 20 years ago, and since 2013, had been living with her mother and younger brother at her younger brother’s house in Iksan. However, on January 14th at around 11:40 a.m., she was charged with strangling her mother B (81) to death at a house in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do.

On the day of the incident, A was verbally abused by B with phrases such as "The reason your younger brother can't get married is because you live in this house," and "Why did you come into the house? Go die." It was investigated that A, in a fit of rage, committed the crime of killing her mother.

During the police investigation, A denied the charges, saying, "I pushed my mother, and she fell after hitting her head on the wardrobe." However, traces of strangulation were found on B’s body, and the cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation, revealing A’s crime.

The first trial court stated, "The defendant strangled the victim, her mother, to death in a fit of rage after being scolded and insulted," and sentenced her to 12 years in prison, noting that "the crime is very serious considering she killed the mother who raised her." The defendant appealed, claiming the sentence was unfair.

However, the second trial court said, "Looking at the defendant’s words and actions, it seems she is trying not to remember the crime herself," and added, "But the defendant committed an irreversible wrongdoing by killing her own mother."

It continued, "When the defendant was scolded and severely insulted by the victim, she lost control of her emotions and impulsively committed the crime," and explained, "Considering various sentencing factors, including that she will likely live with heavy guilt for life, the original sentence appears appropriate."