Couple Who Attempted to Kill Daughter and Take Their Own Lives Receives Suspended Sentence: What the Judge Said

A couple in their 30s who attempted to kill their elementary school-aged daughter and take their own lives due to financial difficulties and other reasons has been given a suspended prison sentence.

On July 15, the Daejeon District Court's 12th Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Kim Byeong-man) sentenced the couple, identified as A and B, to three years in prison, suspended for five years, on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.

The court also ordered them to complete 40 hours of a child abuse recidivism prevention program.

Additionally, the court imposed probation and special compliance requirements, mandating that they faithfully fulfill their responsibilities in raising their child.

The couple was indicted and detained on charges of attempting to kill their daughter, C, on two occasions in January, citing financial hardship and depression.

They also attempted to take their own lives, but the attempt failed as everyone, including the daughter, regained consciousness.

The couple was also charged with child neglect for failing to take C to the hospital after she showed abnormal symptoms, such as slurred speech, following the attempted murder.

While rebuking the couple, the court granted leniency with a suspended sentence, taking into account that the victimized child misses her parents and that her elderly grandparents are facing difficulties in raising her.

The court pointed out, "As parents, the defendants abandoned their duties and attempted to take a life, which is a grave crime deserving of strong condemnation." The court added, "While such cases are sometimes viewed with pity in Korea as 'attempts at joint suicide,' it must be clearly recognized in terms of criminal responsibility that this was a case of 'parents attempting to kill their child and then themselves.'"

The court explained the sentencing, stating, "In this case, the criminal punishment of the defendants is a very important factor for the welfare of the victimized child. We have given special consideration to the fact that the grandparents, who are currently responsible for her upbringing, have petitioned for leniency for the defendants due to the practical limitations of their advanced age, and that the child is experiencing emotional distress from being separated from the defendants."

Finally, the court emphasized, "The defendants must deeply engrave in their hearts the fact that the victimized child, whom they attempted to kill, was a key consideration in the court's decision to grant a suspended sentence. You must strive to fulfill your duties as parents."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.