[Anchor]
A mother who abused her three-year-old daughter to death six years ago and concealed the crime has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. The court sternly rebuked her, stating that the victim was not even guaranteed the final dignity of a human being after her death.
Reporter Je Hui-won has the story.
[Reporter]
In March 2020, a woman in her 30s, identified as A, strangled her three-year-old daughter to death at their home in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province.
She claimed the motive for the murder was that life had become difficult after separating from her husband, and she felt the child was a burden in her life.
A man in his 30s, identified as B, who was her boyfriend at the time, abandoned the child's body on a mountain about 30 minutes away.
[A (March 19, 2026, SBS 8 News): (Did you order the disposal of the body?) ... (Do you have anything to say to the child?) ...]
Their crime remained hidden for six years until this past March, when the deceased child was supposed to enter elementary school.
As the enrollment period approached—after having been delayed once two years ago—A took B's niece to the preliminary school orientation, pretending she was her own daughter, and even applied for experiential learning programs for her.
However, when the child failed to show up for school after the experiential learning period ended, the elementary school reported the situation to the police, leading to the full disclosure of the case.
It was also revealed that A had been illegally receiving child allowances for nearly six years until that point, sparking public outrage.
The court of first instance sentenced A to 13 years in prison, despite the prosecution's request for a 25-year sentence, and also ordered a 10-year restriction on her employment at child-related institutions.
The court rebuked A, stating that she had committed an anti-humanitarian crime and that due to the concealment of the body, the victim was not even guaranteed the final dignity of a human being after her death.
The court sentenced B to 10 months in prison, explaining that it took into account that he committed the crime out of concern that A, who was suffering from depression, might make an extreme choice.
Following this case, the government has begun preparing measures to integrate and manage information on preschool children at risk, which had previously been scattered across different agencies, and related bills have been proposed in the National Assembly.
(Video Editing: Jeong Yong-hwa)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.