▲ Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch
A teenager who attempted to murder a mother and her two daughters at an apartment in Wonju, Gangwon Province, last February has been sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Today (August 20), the 1st Criminal Division of the Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch (Presiding Judge Kim Ji-hyun) sentenced the 16-year-old defendant, surnamed A, to 10 years in prison with a minimum term of 7 years in an indeterminate sentence during the sentencing hearing for charges including attempted murder, special trespassing, and the production of sexually exploitative material under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youths against Sexually Abusive Media.
Along with the prison sentence, the court ordered A to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program, imposed a 7-year employment ban at child and youth welfare institutions, and placed him on probation for 5 years.
The prosecutors request for a location-tracking electronic device (electronic anklet) attachment order was dismissed.
The court pointed out, "The defendant meticulously and premeditatedly planned the crime by searching for ways to hire a hitman in advance, scouting for weapons, deceiving the victim to find out the shared entrance password and the father's absence hours, and lying in wait for 35 minutes."
It further criticized, "During the prosecution investigation, he stated, 'It doesn't matter whether I kill one person or three; as long as I kill them quickly and don't get caught, it's fine,' showing no awareness of the value of life or any genuine remorse."
The court explained the reasons for sentencing by stating, "However, favorable factors were considered, including that he is a 15-year-old minor with room to improve his faults and character, that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's clinical psychological evaluation assessed his intelligence quotient as borderline, and that he has no prior juvenile protective dispositions or criminal convictions."
A was brought to trial on charges of attacking and attempting to murder Ms. B, in her 40s, her eldest daughter C, and her younger daughter D, both teenagers, with a weapon he had prepared in advance at an apartment in Danggu-dong, Wonju, at 9:12 AM on February 5.
Due to A's attack, Ms. B sustained severe injuries to her neck, while daughters C and D suffered wounds to their right arms and shoulders.
Police responding to a neighbor's report immediately after the crime apprehended A red-handed while he was hiding in a flowerbed near the apartment.
It was revealed that A entered the building by punching in the shared apartment entrance password he had previously learned, waited in front of the victims' front door, and forced his way inside as Ms. B stepped out.
Furthermore, between last November and January of this year, while on video calls with a victim, he demanded sexual acts under the pretext of penalties and secretly recorded the video calls, going so far as to produce sexually exploitative material.
Investigations revealed that A committed the crimes after deciding to kill the victims because they interfered with his private life.
Digital forensics conducted on A's mobile phone uncovered evidence of premeditated crime, such as search records for "contract killing" and attempts to purchase weapons to be used in the offense.
The prosecutors deemed A's crime severe enough to warrant the death penalty or life imprisonment and demanded a 20-year prison sentence, the maximum statutory limit for a fixed-term sentence applicable to a juvenile under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes.
However, the court determined that an indeterminate sentence with upper and lower limits split into a maximum and minimum term was appropriate.
When sentencing a juvenile who has committed a specific violent crime to an indeterminate sentence, a maximum of 15 years and a minimum of 7 years can be given, but the court sentenced A to a maximum of 10 years and a minimum of 7 years.
Meanwhile, following the incident, the victims' family submitted a national petition to the National Assembly calling for strengthened penalties for violent crimes committed by minors.
The victims' family asserted, "If the punishment is drastically reduced simply because the perpetrator is a minor, it will only serve as another form of violence against the victims and their family. Clear standards and effective punishment are necessary for violent crimes committed by juvenile lawbreakers and minors."
The petition surpassed 50,000 signatures and has been referred to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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