"Star, 8, Abused and Murdered: Couple Sentenced to 30 Years in Second Trial for Starvation and Feces Abuse"

On March, an 8-year-old named Byeol-i, who was abused by her biological mother in her 20s and stepfather, passed away. Photo by Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association (Daahyeop)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A couple in their 20s, who were prosecuted for starving and abusing their 8-year-old daughter Byeori to death, were sentenced to 30 years in prison each in the appellate court, the same as in the first trial.

On the afternoon of the 8th, the Criminal Division 6-2 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Jung Chongryeong) dismissed both the prosecution's and the defendants' appeals in the appellate trial of Byeori's biological mother A (28, female) and adoptive father B (27, male), who were charged with murder and violation of the Child Welfare Act, and handed down the sentence.

The court stated, "The victim was an 8-year-old child lacking defensive ability at the time of death and should have been protected by adults, but was subjected to prolonged abuse by the defendants who had the duty to protect and raise her, leading to her death," adding, "It does not appear that the victim's older brother lied in his testimony related to this case, and since he had a good relationship with the defendants, there seems to be no particular reason for him to testify unfavorably."

At the previous sentencing hearing, the prosecution requested the court to sentence the couple to 30 years in prison each, as in the first trial. On the other hand, the couple argued, "Although it is true that we abused Byeori for a long time, we never intended to kill her," claiming the sentence was too heavy. They pleaded for leniency, asking to be allowed to raise Byeori's biological older brother C (9) and their youngest daughter D, who was born in prison last April, after their eventual release. A held D, whom she had with B, in her arms and appeared in court at every hearing.

The couple is accused of continuously abusing Byeori by beating and starving her for over three years since 2018, resulting in her death on March 2. Byeori suffered abuse for reasons such as secretly eating jokbal (pig's trotters) taken from the refrigerator in her room and discarding the bones carelessly. B fed Byeori feces when she had bowel accidents, and A was investigated for neglecting this despite knowing. The autopsy revealed that Byeori was severely underweight at 110 cm and 13 kg. There was no food in her stomach or intestines.

The prosecution found that before Byeori's death, A gave her a cold shower despite bleeding wounds, and B played smartphone games in the living room even after seeing Byeori collapse in the bathroom. Immediately after the crime, A instructed their son to say he had been punished about five times, but C gave different statements to the investigation authorities. This testimony played a decisive role in the first trial's judgment. The couple claimed in the appellate trial as well that "the son's related testimony was false."