"Children Appeal 'Make Dad Pay for Killing Mom'... Court Agrees"

Charged with Retaliatory Murder... Court Sentences 40 Years Imprisonment

A man in his 50s who violated a restraining order and went to find his wife, who had reported domestic violence, and killed her with a weapon was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

The Criminal Division 1 of Seosan Branch Court of Daejeon District Court (Chief Judge Jo Young-eun) handed down this sentence on the 5th to Mr. A (51), who was indicted on charges including retaliatory murder under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, and ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet) for 15 years. The court stated, "It is recognized that the defendant's wife and children had suffered from domestic violence and that he prepared weapons in advance to commit retaliatory murder," adding, "The method of the crime was also cruel and inhumane."

Mr. A was prosecuted on charges of stabbing and killing his wife, Ms. B (44 at the time), multiple times with a weapon at a beauty salon she operated in Seosan, Chungnam, on October 4 last year. About a month before the crime, Mr. A threatened Ms. B, who was demanding a divorce, with a weapon and injured her by swinging the weapon because she reported him, leading to a police investigation on charges including retaliatory injury. It was found that he killed her because she did not agree to a settlement. At that time, a temporary protection order was issued to prevent Mr. A from approaching Ms. B’s residence and workplace, and on the morning of the incident, Ms. B even submitted an eviction application against Mr. A to the court herself, but the crime could not be prevented.

Earlier, Mr. A’s child filed a legislative petition titled "Strengthening Laws on Restraining Orders and Insanity Defense" as a "National Consent Petition" to the National Assembly in October last year, stating, "My father is trying to reduce his sentence by claiming insanity, but please help ensure he pays for his crimes." The prosecution requested life imprisonment and a 20-year electronic monitoring order for Mr. A at the last sentencing hearing.