Common-law Husband Abuses Child Physically and Emotionally
Court: "Abuse Severity Very Serious"... Sentenced to 4 Years Imprisonment
A woman in her 30s who habitually abused her teenage stepchildren by causing burns and failing to provide proper meals was sentenced to prison.
According to a report by Yonhap News on the 12th, Judge Kim Kyung-chan of the Criminal Division 3 at Cheongju District Court sentenced the woman, identified as A, to four years in prison. She was also ordered to complete a 40-hour child abuse treatment program and was banned from working in child-related institutions for five years.
A was prosecuted on charges including physical abuse, special injury, and violation of the Child Welfare Act (child abuse) for repeatedly abusing two teenage children of her common-law husband 11 times over approximately 10 months starting from December 2022. The victims were burned with a heated hair iron (hair styling tool) because they allegedly stole items from a mart and fought with each other. She also assaulted them with a golf club, causing bruises on their legs so severe that walking was difficult.
Additionally, she emotionally abused the children by discriminating between her biological children and the victims, preventing them from eating food in the refrigerator, which led to malnutrition, and forcing them to copy fairy tales, depriving them of sleep.
She was also charged with neglect for failing to provide basic care, including food, clothing, and shelter, such as not allowing the children to receive hospital treatment after sustaining burns on their heads from being bathed in hot water.
Judge Kim stated, “Although the defendant admits her wrongdoing and shows remorse, considering the overall circumstances of the crimes, the degree of abuse is very severe. The children likely suffered significant psychological shock and pain, which will remain as trauma and negatively affect their growth in the future.”
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