A mother who left her son to die while he was incapacitated and vomiting blood, and then collected insurance payouts from policies she took out just a day before his death, has been sentenced to prison.
The Criminal Division 11 of the Uijeongbu District Court sentenced a woman in her 60s, identified as A, to three years in prison on charges including abandonment resulting in death and fraud.
Around 10 p.m. on September 20, 2023, A's son, B, vomited a total of about 3 liters of blood multiple times at their home in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.
However, A, who was working as an insurance planner at the time, failed to call 119 or take her son to the hospital. Instead, the next day, she signed him up for two insurance policies designating B as the insured party.
The products promised payouts of up to 50 million won and 200 million won, respectively, in the event of death by illness.
Investigations revealed that A designated herself as the policyholder and beneficiary, and forged B's signature on the insured consent sections of the application forms.
B's condition came to light after an acquaintance of A reported it to the police.
Although B was rushed to the hospital, he ultimately died in the early hours of the 22nd from hypovolemic shock and hematemesis.
Following her son's death, A filed claims with two insurance companies, receiving about 25 million won from one life insurance firm a month later.
However, the other insurance company, which faced a claim for 200 million won, grew suspicious of the subscription history and the circumstances surrounding the death. After refusing to pay, the company filed a complaint against A with the police in January 2024.
A denied the charges, claiming she did not see her son vomiting blood.
She also argued that her son had signed the insurance contracts himself.
However, the court rejected A's claims, citing medical records and statements from the reporter indicating that the amount of blood B shed was substantial enough to pool on the floor.
Furthermore, based on medical staff opinions that B would have lacked the physical strength to even move following massive hematemesis, the court dismissed the argument that the son had signed the insurance contracts.
The court stated, "The defendant was virtually the sole protector responsible for rescuing the victim, yet she left the victim in a severe condition inside the house and sought to gain financial profit from the situation, making her culpability very grave."
At the same time, the court explained the sentencing reasons by taking into account that "the attempt to receive the 200 million won insurance payout ended in an unconsummated attempt, and A appeared to have been supporting her family's livelihood."
Both the prosecution and A appealed the first-instance ruling.
Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Lee Eui-sun | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
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