Court Criticizes, "Treated the Child Like a Toy"
The prosecution has demanded a life sentence for a man in his 30s who caused the death of a five-year-old child by placing him upside down between mats and neglecting him at a Taekwondo academy. The court criticized the man, saying, "Did you not play with the child like a toy?" and added, "I am not sure if you are truly remorseful."
The Uijeongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi is transferring Taekwondo instructor Mr. A, who was arrested on charges of causing a 5-year-old student to go into cardiac arrest and lose consciousness, to the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office. Yonhap News
According to Yonhap News on the 19th, during a trial held at the Uijeongbu District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Oh Chang-seop), the prosecution requested a life sentence for Mr. A, a man in his 30s who was arrested and indicted on charges of child abuse resulting in death. The prosecution also requested a 10-year ban on employment in child-related institutions and completion of educational courses.
The prosecution stated, "According to established legal principles, physical abuse of a child does not require a specific purpose or intent, so the claim that there was no intent is unfounded." They continued, "The defendant returned to the director's office to delete CCTV footage even in an urgent situation and later attempted to conceal the CCTV equipment itself," pointing out, "There is sufficient evidence to recognize the defendant's indirect intent to kill."
They added, "A Taekwondo academy is a place of education where many parents trust and entrust their children, and it is closely related to daily life," explaining, "Considering the shock caused to parents with children, a severe sentence for the defendant is inevitable."
In response, Mr. A's defense attorney argued, "The police initially transferred the case under the concept of negligent homicide, but suddenly changed it to child abuse resulting in death at the prosecution stage," and claimed, "While abuse is acknowledged, there is no motive to kill. The prosecution's argument is not convincing."
Last July, at a Taekwondo studio in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, a director in his 30s (right) is seen holding a 5-year-old child upside down and inserting him into a hole in a rolled-up mat. Screenshot from JTBC news report
Earlier, Mr. A was accused of placing B, a student at a Taekwondo academy in Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province, upside down into a rolled-up mat (height 124 cm, hole diameter approximately 18?23 cm) and leaving him there for 27 minutes, leading to his death on July 12. At the time, B reportedly shouted several times, "Please take me out," but Mr. A ignored him and left him unattended. After B was found in a coma, Mr. A did not perform CPR but instead deleted CCTV footage to conceal the crime. The prosecution applied the charge of child abuse resulting in death, which carries the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment of seven years or more, considering Mr. A's indirect intent to kill rather than child abuse causing death.
Before the sentencing request, the presiding judge scolded Mr. A, saying, "It seems like you were playing with the child like a toy, throwing him around," and added, "It appears that the victim child had no value in your mind and that you thought you could ignore him." The judge also reprimanded, "I am not sure if you are truly remorseful."
In his final statement, Mr. A apologized and bowed toward the bereaved family in the courtroom, pleading for leniency. Witnessing this, the victim's mother cried out, "Is this a joke after killing someone else's child? He should be sentenced to death," before being escorted out of the courtroom.
The sentencing trial for Mr. A is scheduled for January 23 next year.
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