"Give Me Money or Else": Woman in Her 50s Threatens Mother in Her 90s

Court Finds Defendant Guilty of Emotional Abuse

A woman in her 50s who was financially dependent on her mother in her 90s and threatened her for money has been sentenced to a fine. She was found guilty of emotionally abusing her mother.

According to Yonhap News on May 17, Judge Park Hyunjin, the presiding judge of the Criminal Division 2 of the Wonju Branch of the Chuncheon District Court, sentenced A (age 55), who was indicted on charges of violating the Elderly Welfare Act, to a fine of 1 million won.

On the morning of October 11, 2020, A went to her mother's house and, while demanding money, injured herself with a broken dish. She threatened her mother by saying, "I will kill myself and everyone else. If you don't give me money, I will jump out and kill myself."

On the morning of June 19 last year, A was also brought to trial on charges of emotional abuse for saying to her mother, in the presence of a caregiver and a social worker who had gathered in her mother's bedroom for a work handover, "If you don't give me the money I asked for, I won't let this go. When I leave this house, I won't leave quietly," among other things.

A admitted to injuring herself with a broken dish while threatening to kill herself. However, she argued that she never said, "I will kill everyone," or "I will jump and kill myself." She also claimed that her words were an emotional outburst and that she did not intend to threaten or abuse her mother.

The court did not accept A's claims. The court stated that, considering A's admission of self-harm and the testimony of third parties such as the caregiver, her actions constituted emotional abuse and that the arguments of the defendant and her attorney were without merit.

The court stated, "In determining the sentence, we comprehensively considered the nature and circumstances of the crime, the fact that the defendant denies the charges, and the defendant's financial dependence on the victim." A's attorney announced plans to appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, unlike physical abuse, emotional abuse often leaves no visible traces, making it difficult to prove. When allegations of emotional abuse are raised, evidence typically includes the victim's testimony, statements from witnesses, records such as text messages or emails, and evaluations by psychological experts.