Adopted Child Jeong-in Case, Final Judgment by Supreme Court...Prosecutors Submit Appeal Petition

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution has appealed the appellate court's ruling that sentenced Jang Mo, the adoptive mother accused of abusing and causing the death of 16-month-old adopted daughter Jeong-in, to 35 years in prison. As a result, the Jeong-in case, which has enraged the entire nation, will receive a final judgment from the Supreme Court.

According to the legal community on the 3rd, the prosecution filed a notice of appeal yesterday with the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 7 (Presiding Judges Seong Su-je, Kang Kyung-pyo, Bae Jeong-hyun), which handled Jang's appellate trial. Meanwhile, Jang has not yet submitted a notice of appeal.

Jang was detained and indicted on charges of repeatedly assaulting and abusing her adopted daughter Jeong-in from June to October last year, and delivering a strong blow with her hand or foot to Jeong-in's abdomen on October 13, causing her death.

The prosecution charged Jang primarily with murder, requesting punishment under the murder charge if intent was recognized, and alternatively with child abuse resulting in death if intent was not recognized, applying the murder charge as the principal accusation and the child abuse resulting in death charge as the subsidiary accusation.

Both the first trial and the appellate court recognized, at least implicitly, the intent to murder. However, the appellate court overturned the first trial's life imprisonment sentence, stating, "It is difficult to find objective facts that justify imposing a life sentence," and sentenced Jang to 35 years in prison.

Meanwhile, An Mo, the adoptive father who was also indicted on charges of child abuse for neglecting Jeong-in and condoning Jang's abuse, submitted a notice of appeal yesterday. He was sentenced to five years in prison in both the first and second trials.