First Application of the 'Jeongin Act': Stepmother Sentenced to 30 Years for Abusing and Causing the Death of Her Stepdaughter

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Stepmother A (41), who was tried on charges of child abuse resulting in the death of her teenage stepdaughter in Namhae-gun, Gyeongnam, was sentenced to 30 years in prison under the so-called ‘Jeong In Act’.

The 1st Criminal Division of the Jinju Branch of Changwon District Court (Presiding Judge Jung Sung-ho) sentenced A on the 13th, stating, “The child’s guardian abandoned their responsibility and instead inflicted various physical and mental abuses on the vulnerable child, leading to death, which confirms the intent to kill,” and imposed a heavy sentence. Additionally, A was ordered to complete a 40-hour child abuse treatment program and was banned from employment in child-related institutions for 10 years.

A was indicted for beating her stepdaughter B (then 13) to death at their home in Namhae-gun on June 22 last year after submitting divorce papers following conflicts with her husband and the husband avoiding contact regarding child custody.

According to police investigation, A violently assaulted B for about 1 to 2 hours starting around 8 p.m. on the day of the incident, repeatedly stepping on B’s abdomen during the process. The violence continued until B collapsed after hitting the bathroom toilet. Later, when B’s condition worsened, A moved her to a room and left her there, and after B lost consciousness, A contacted her husband.

The estranged husband arrived around 2 a.m., checked their daughter’s condition, and called 119 at 4:16 a.m. B was transported to the hospital but eventually died.

It was also revealed that from August 2020 to June last year, A habitually abused B, who had died, including pushing her and causing a 3 cm head wound because she did not obey well.

The prosecution applied the so-called ‘Jeong In Act,’ officially the ‘Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes Amendment,’ for the first time in July last year and indicted A in custody.

The court ruled, “It is a socially serious crime that a child’s guardian abandons responsibility and commits various physical and mental abuses and neglects child-rearing of a vulnerable child.”

It also judged, “Abusing the child out of anger toward the husband and killing the child despite the abdomen swelling due to organ damage for anger relief is not accidental or one-time but extremely heinous.”

Furthermore, “Considering the type and circumstances of the abuse, the methods and degree were not disciplinary but involved prolonged abuse of a child lacking the ability to protect themselves, leading to death. The child ended their life through abuse amid anxiety about being abandoned due to the parents’ divorce, likely experiencing physical pain and isolation,” explaining the sentencing rationale.

At the sentencing hearing held in December last year, the prosecution demanded life imprisonment for A, stating, “She habitually abused her daughter by hitting her abdomen multiple times, ultimately causing her death.”

In front of the court that day, members of the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association held placards demanding “Death penalty for child abusers” and strongly urged severe punishment for A. When the verdict was announced, members protested, saying, “The first trial sentence is too light.”