17-Year Prison Sentence in First Trial... Bereaved Family Appeals for Justice
A man in his 20s who brutally murdered his fianc?e by stabbing her nearly 200 times with a weapon was sentenced to 17 years in prison by the first trial court, while the bereaved family revealed the deceased daughter's face and name, urging strict punishment for the man.
A (28) is accused of stabbing his cohabiting fianc?e B (24) about 190 times with a weapon at an apartment in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, at around 12:59 p.m. on July 24 last year. A claimed that he committed the crime in a fit of rage after being insulted by B amid conflicts with neighbors over noise between floors. Immediately after the crime, he self-inflicted wounds with the weapon, reported the crime to the police himself, and was taken to the hospital for surgery.
Earlier, the first trial court sentenced A to 17 years in prison, considering that he appeared to have committed the crime impulsively in a state of extreme stress due to noise issues between floors and other factors. The court also dismissed the prosecution's request to impose an electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet). However, on the 18th, the Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office Yeongwol Branch announced that it had appealed the first trial verdict, arguing that the sentence was too light. The prosecution had previously sought a 25-year sentence, explaining that “the victim, who was promised marriage, was brutally murdered, the victim’s family did not forgive the perpetrator, and it is difficult to see that he showed remorse for the crime.”
The bereaved family of the victim B also expressed their grievance on JTBC’s ‘Incident Commander’ on the 22nd, saying, “We want to know the truth about why she was killed.” B’s mother said, “According to the profiling investigation, the perpetrator said, ‘I was taking a short break at work when I got a call from my girlfriend telling me to come home, and I thought I had to kill her today, so I left for home.’ She added, “Calculating the time the perpetrator took the elevator upon arriving at the crime scene and the time he reported to the police after the crime, the murder and the perpetrator’s self-harm happened within 20 minutes.”
B’s mother said, “The neighbors who had conflicts over noise between floors had moved out a week before the incident, and the claim that my daughter insulted him is only the perpetrator’s assertion,” expressing, “I absolutely cannot understand why he killed her.”
She also claimed, “A received a reduced sentence because of the consolation money given to the bereaved family by the Victim Support Center.” The family wrote a pledge stating, ‘All claims will be made to the state. We will not reach a personal settlement with the perpetrator,’ and received 42 million won, but this money was converted into relief funds, and the state claimed the right of recourse against the perpetrator, turning it into a settlement payment. B’s mother emphasized, “What parent would give up their child’s life for 42 million won? My 24-year-old daughter, who suffered from type 1 diabetes and was sick her whole life, passed away painfully even in her last moments. Please help us.”
Meanwhile, A also submitted an appeal on the 16th, and the case will be reconsidered by the Chuncheon branch of the Seoul High Court.
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