A 33-year-old man and his wife who beat their son to death and mutilated his body for storage in the fridge were each given a lengthy prison term Friday.
The prosecution had initially sought a life sentence for the father, and 20 years for the mother. However, in the trial that was held Friday, the Bucheon Branch of Incheon District Court gave the father 30 years and the mother 20 years.
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(Yonhap) |
The father was indicted for brutally beating his son until the latter lost consciousness in the bathroom of their house around the end of October 2012, which led to the victim’s death a few days later on Nov. 3.
The victim was 7 years old at the time and weighed only 16 kilogram, much lighter than his average peers.
The mother, although she had not taken part in the lethal beating, was also indicted for hitting the victim several times prior to his death and neglecting him in his fatal state.
After the victim drew his last breathe the couple purchased various tools to amputate the body on three separate trips to a retailer.
The prosecution found that to mask the smell of the blood the mother had specially cooked cheonggukjang, a strong-smelling ingredient for fermented bean soup.
She presented a written opinion to the court that she wishes to obtain a cook’s certificate after she completes her prison term and run her own restaurant, prompting the court to comment on her seemingly lack of repentance.
The victim’s dismembered body had been kept in the fridge for more than three years until recent discovery due to heightened awareness and crackdown against child abuse.
The police said that the victim‘s face, upon discovery, was distorted in an agonized expression. His unclosed eyes had been taped over by the father. The couple also have a 5 year-old daughter whom they dote, in a stark contrast to how they treated their son.
In another recent case of filicide by beating, the father, a pastor, was given 20 years and his wife by new marriage 15 years, for beating the pastor’s daughter to death accusing her of stealing from church offerings.
By Lim Jeong-yeo (
kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)
