"Please Kill Me": Father and Son in '11-Year Caregiving Murder' Case File Constitutional Complaint

A father and son who murdered their family member after 11 years of caregiving have filed a constitutional complaint, arguing that the crime should be classified as "homicide by request" rather than "parricide."

This is the first case related to "caregiving murder" to be filed since the constitutional complaint system was implemented in March of this year.

The son, identified as A, who killed his mother in her 80s, and the father, B, who assisted in the crime, filed the complaint with the Constitutional Court last month. They requested the cancellation of the Supreme Court ruling, claiming that their rights—including the right to a life worthy of human dignity, the pursuit of happiness, and the principle of self-responsibility—had been violated.

In March of last year, the father and son were indicted on charges of murdering the victim at their home in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The victim was unable to move due to the aftereffects of a cerebral hemorrhage and a hip fracture. The pair fed the victim sleeping pills and strangled her with an electrical cord.

The two had been caring for the victim for 11 years since 2014. Investigations revealed that they decided to commit suicide together after facing extreme financial hardship and the threat of eviction while the victim's condition worsened, including symptoms of delirium.

After the crime, the father and son attempted to jump into the Han River but were rescued.

The son, A, was sentenced to seven years in prison for parricide and violating the Narcotics Control Act, while the father, B, received a three-year prison sentence for murder.

They are now reasserting the claim of "homicide by request," which was rejected by the courts.

They argue that the victim had consistently said, "Kill me rather than send me to a nursing home," since December 2024, and that at the time of the crime, the victim's delirium had improved, leaving her with clear decision-making capacity.

They presented a crime scene investigation report as evidence, noting that "no defensive wounds, trauma, or signs of struggle were observed, and there were marks suggesting the victim had bitten her own tongue." They emphasized that the victim had cooperated with the crime while suppressing her screams.

Homicide by request is a crime committed upon the direct and specific request of the victim and carries a lighter sentence than general homicide.

However, it remains uncertain whether the Constitutional Court will accept the father and son's complaint.

As of last month, more than 1,200 constitutional complaints had been filed with the court, but only 10 cases have been referred to the full bench.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.