Mother of Late Infant 'Haedeun' Appeals 35-Year Sentence, Claiming It's Too Harsh After Sentence Reduction

The biological mother, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison instead of life imprisonment for abusing and causing the death of her 4-month-old son, Haedeun, has appealed the appellate court's ruling.

The defense counsel for the 33-year-old mother, identified as A, submitted an appeal to the Gwangju High Court, which handled the appellate trial, earlier today.

It was reported that A's side filed the appeal on the grounds of unfair sentencing.

On the 25th, the appellate court overturned the original life sentence and sentenced A to 35 years in prison on charges including child abuse resulting in death.

Explaining the reason for the sentence reduction, the court stated, "Although this is an anti-social crime that brutally trampled on human dignity, it cannot be seen as meticulously planned in advance, and she is showing signs of remorse, albeit belatedly."

Immediately following the appellate ruling, citizens who had been calling for strict punishment protested the court's decision to reduce the sentence, calling it an "incomprehensible verdict."

A was indicted on charges of indiscriminately assaulting her son Haedeun in October of last year at her home in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, and leaving him unattended in a bathtub with running water, causing him to die from multiple fractures and hemorrhaging.

Her husband, who was indicted alongside A on charges of turning a blind eye to the abuse and threatening a witness in the case, was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison in both the first and second trials.

The husband's legal counsel also submitted an appeal to the court on the same day.

(Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Lee Ui-sun | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.