The father of the perpetrator in the so-called 'Japanese Sword Murder Case' has been given a suspended prison sentence in the first trial for posting comments that defamed the victim.
On August 27, Judge Kim Minjeong of the Seoul Western District Court’s Criminal Division 9 sentenced Baek (age 69), who was indicted on charges of defamation of the deceased, to one year in prison, suspended for two years. The court also ordered 120 hours of community service and probation.
Baek was accused of posting internet comments 23 times between August and September of last year, suggesting that "the victim of the Japanese Sword Murder Case was a Chinese spy."
Judge Kim stated, "As the father of a person who committed a murder, the defendant further damaged the victim's reputation and inflicted deeper wounds on the bereaved family, who are already suffering pain and sorrow." She added, "By specifically implying false information, the defendant undermined the victim’s social standing."
However, the court also noted that the comments were unrealistic and thus unlikely to be taken at face value by the general public.
Meanwhile, Baek’s son was sentenced to life imprisonment this February for swinging a 102 cm-long sword at a male neighbor in an apartment in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, resulting in the victim’s death in July of last year.
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