"Daughter-in-law Sentenced to 7 Years for Attacking Mother-in-law with Weapon After Being Scolded for 'Loud Woman's Voice'"

Busan District Court Sentences Woman in Her 20s to 7 Years in Prison
Attacked Mother-in-Law with Weapon After Argument with Husband

Busan District Court. Asia Economy DB

A woman in her 20s who attempted to kill her mother-in-law by attacking her with a weapon after being scolded for arguing with her husband has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

On July 15, the Busan District Court Criminal Division 6 (Presiding Judge Kim Yonggyun) announced that it had sentenced the defendant, identified as A, to seven years in prison on charges of attempted parricide. A was accused of attacking her mother-in-law, B, who is in her 60s, with a weapon, targeting her abdomen and left arm, at their home in Yeongdo-gu, Busan, at around 10:25 p.m. on April 25.

At the time, A had a heated argument with her husband over financial issues during a phone call. Hearing this, her mother-in-law B said to her, "Is it appropriate for a woman's voice to be that loud?" Following this, A retrieved a weapon from the kitchen and attacked B, then turned herself in to the police.

A had previously been sentenced to four years in prison for aggravated assault in October 2020 and was incarcerated at Cheongju Women's Prison until July of last year. She committed the current offense while still within her repeat offender period.

The court stated, "A harbored a clear intent to kill her mother-in-law out of anger after arguing with her husband. Considering the target, method, circumstances, and motive of the crime, the defendant's culpability is extremely grave," adding, "It appears that B suffered significant physical and psychological pain and wishes for A to be punished."

However, the court also explained, "There are aspects indicating that A acted impulsively, and since B did not sustain fatal injuries, the crime remained at the stage of attempt. The court also took into account A's age, environment, and the circumstances following the offense."

Additionally, the court stated, "Although A turned herself in, due to the seriousness of the crime and the fact that it was committed during the repeat offender period, no legal mitigation for voluntary surrender will be applied."