Mother Receives Heavy Sentence for Killing Teenage Son by Taping His Mouth and Pouring Hot Water

Busan District Court Sentences Mother in Her 40s to 25 Years in Prison
"Repeated Child Abuse Since a Young Age"

A woman in her 40s who tortured and abused her teenage son for three years, ultimately causing his death, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

On July 18, the Busan District Court Criminal Division 6 (Presiding Judge Kim Yonggyun) sentenced Ms. A to 25 years in prison for charges including violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes (child abuse resulting in death), according to a report by Yonhap News on the same day. The court also ordered Ms. A to complete 120 hours of a child abuse treatment program and prohibited her from working at child-related institutions for seven years.

Ms. A was charged with repeatedly abusing and assaulting her 17-year-old son, referred to as C, together with her neighbor, a woman in her 40s identified as Ms. B, from January 2022 to January 2025, resulting in his death.

According to the prosecution's indictment, Ms. A beat her son with a wooden stick two to three times a week. In particular, on January 4, when he died, Ms. A's son was subjected to abuse that amounted to torture.

Investigations revealed that Ms. A tied her son's arms and legs, sealed his mouth with tape, and beat him for about seven hours. During this ordeal, she also poured hot water on his body. As a result, at around 1 a.m. on January 4, C began to show abnormal symptoms, such as his body going limp, and he died of traumatic shock at around 3 a.m. the same day.

Ms. A reportedly took no action to help her son despite noticing these abnormal symptoms and instead left him unattended. Furthermore, at around 6 p.m. on January 3, the day before her son died, Ms. A said to Ms. B during a phone call, "I'll beat him to the point of death to make him come to his senses." In response, Ms. B said, "Tie him up. You really have to beat him half to death," and actually participated in the assault.

During the trial, Ms. A's defense argued that the crime was committed because she perceived her son as delinquent and claimed that this perception was influenced by Ms. B.

In response, the court stated, "As the mother, the defendant had a duty to protect the victim, regardless of the neighbor's influence," and emphasized, "This cannot be considered a valid excuse."

The court further ruled, "The victim appears to have been in a psychological state where he could not even attempt to resist due to repeated abuse from a young age," and added, "Every child has the right to grow up happily in a stable home environment, and since children are unable to protect themselves, crimes that take their lives are all the more grave."

Meanwhile, Ms. B is under police investigation on charges including violation of the Child Welfare Act.