Court: "Considering aspects such as impulsive crime due to psychological pressure while lacking an environment for raising children at a young age"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] A man in his 20s who was charged with killing his daughter, who was less than a month old, by beating her, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
On the 2nd, the Criminal Division 15 of Suwon District Court (Chief Judge Jo Hyuok) sentenced A (21), who was charged with child abuse resulting in death, to seven years in prison. Along with this, he was ordered to complete a 40-hour child abuse treatment program and was banned from working in child-related institutions for five years.
A is accused of hitting the forehead of his 29-day-old daughter B twice with a metal ring on his left thumb at their home in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on December 31 last year, because he was angry that B was crying instead of sleeping. B died the next day from head injuries including acute subdural hemorrhage and brain edema.
Earlier, in mid-December last year, A violently shook the mattress where B was lying, and it is known that he physically abused her four times in total. He is also accused of failing to provide treatment or take any measures when B was lethargic and gasping for breath after defecating on December 28, four days before her death.
In addition, he is charged with threatening B’s biological mother, his ex-girlfriend C, three times by sending text messages threatening to hit her boyfriend.
According to police investigations, A committed the crime after raising the child alone because C refused to take care of her. The prosecution requested a 20-year prison sentence, arguing that the acts of shaking or throwing B likely caused the acute subdural hemorrhage, and demanded a severe punishment equivalent to murder.
The court pointed out, "The defendant shook or threw the victim child, who was less than one month old, causing acute subdural hemorrhage that led to death. As a guardian, the defendant was responsible for protecting the child so that she could grow into a healthy individual, but he abused her multiple times and inflicted violence that left wounds on her forehead shortly before her death."
However, the court explained the sentencing reasoning, saying, "It appears that the defendant, being young and lacking an environment to raise the child, could not endure psychological pressure and committed the crime impulsively. We also considered that basic medical care such as vaccinations and pediatric treatment had been provided, and that the child’s developmental state seemed to be good."
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