Father Sentenced to 13 Years for Killing 11-Month-Old Daughter and Abandoning Body for 6 Months

Court: "Heavy Culpability... Intellectual Disability Taken into Account"

A man in his 20s has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term after fatally assaulting his 11-month-old daughter and abandoning her body for six months.

On July 8, the Daejeon District Court Hongseong Branch Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Na Sanghun) sentenced Mr. A to 13 years in prison on charges including violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (child abuse resulting in death). The court also ordered Mr. A to complete 80 hours of a child abuse treatment program and prohibited him from working at child-related institutions for 10 years.

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The court stated, "This case is an extremely serious crime, and the defendant bears heavy culpability and is subject to significant social condemnation. However, the sentencing took into account that the defendant admitted to all charges, the crime does not appear to have been premeditated, and the defendant has an intellectual disability."

Mr. A was accused of fatally assaulting his 11-month-old daughter at their residence in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong Province, in early September last year, allegedly striking her because she was crying. He then abandoned her body in a styrofoam box in the utility room of their home.

It was reported that the deceased daughter, referred to as Miss B, had not been accounted for since leaving her daycare in July last year. The daycare director notified Seocheon County authorities that the child's whereabouts were unknown, and the county office subsequently reported the case to the police. After receiving the report, police officers discovered Miss B's body at Mr. A's residence in Seocheon-eup at approximately 8:05 p.m. on February 13.

Meanwhile, the court sentenced Mr. A's wife, who was also indicted in connection with this case, to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years. The court explained, "Although her culpability is not minor, her crime was limited to the abandonment of the body, and she has children to care for, which was taken into consideration."