"Why Did You Give Birth to Me?" Filial Impiety Son Sentenced to Prison for Forcing Food into Mother's Mouth and Harassment

Committed crime under despair and intoxication
Denied all charges at trial start
Sentenced to 1 year, concluded no intent to kill

A 50-year-old unfilial son who shoved cake into his mother’s mouth and strangled her was sentenced to prison. The son claimed it was "just a joke," but his excuse was not accepted.

The Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 11 (Chief Judge Bae Seong-jung) sentenced A (57) to one year in prison on the charge of assaulting a direct ascendant on the 28th. Initially, the prosecution indicted him on charges of attempted matricide. However, the court concluded that there was no intent to kill.

According to the verdict, A failed in stock investments, accumulating debt of about 140 million won, and divorced his wife. Since March, he had been living with his mother, the victim. In mid-May, while intoxicated, he thought "My mother, who gave birth to me, is responsible," and he shoved a cake he was holding into the victim’s mouth in the master bedroom, saying, "XXX, you X, why did you give birth to me? You have to die with me." He even covered the victim’s mouth, laid her on the floor, and strangled her with both hands, according to the investigation.

After the victim reported the incident, A was arrested by the police and reportedly said, "I was trying to kill her, what more needs to be said?" and "If I go back home, I think I will kill my mother. I have to kill her for this situation to end." However, when the trial began, A denied all charges. He claimed, "I was just playing a prank by handing cake to my mother and smearing it on her face, but she suddenly got angry and yelled. During an argument, when I said 'let’s die together,' my mother called 112." He also denied strangling her.

The court stated, "His explanation is difficult to accept as reasonable and does not align with objective circumstances," adding, "In the 112 call recording, A repeatedly said 'let’s die together,' and the victim said, 'You were born wrong by your son and should die,' making his excuse impossible to believe." However, the court judged that he did not have the intent to kill.