Mother Sentenced to Prison After Insuring Dying Son Who Vomited 3 Liters of Blood

A mother who neglected her son as he vomited blood and was unable to move, leading to his death, and then collected insurance payouts from policies she took out just a day before he died, has been sentenced to prison.

The Criminal Division 11 of the Uijeongbu District Court sentenced a woman in her 60s, identified as Defendant, to three years in prison on charges including abandonment resulting in death and fraud.

Around 10 p.m. on September 20, 2023, the woman's son, B, vomited a total of about 3 liters of blood on multiple occasions at their home in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.

However, Defendant, who was working as an insurance planner at the time, failed to call 119 or take him to a hospital. Instead, the next day, she signed up for two insurance policies with B as the insured party.

The products offered payouts of up to 50 million won and 200 million won, respectively, in the event of death by illness.

Investigations revealed that Defendant designated herself as the policyholder and beneficiary, and forged B's signature in the consent section for the insured.

B's condition came to light after an acquaintance of Defendant reported the matter to the police.

Although B was rushed to the hospital, he ultimately died in the early hours of October 22 from hypovolemic shock and hematemesis.

Following her son's death, Defendant filed claims with two insurance companies, receiving approximately 25 million won from one life insurance company a month later.

However, the other insurer, which received a 200 million won claim, grew suspicious of the subscription history and the circumstances of the death. After refusing to pay, the insurer filed a complaint against Defendant with the police in January 2024.

Defendant denied the charges, claiming she did not see her son vomiting blood.

She also claimed that she obtained her son's signature on the insurance contracts directly.

However, the court rejected Defendant's claims, citing medical records showing that the amount of blood B shed was substantial enough to pool on the floor, as well as statements from the person who reported the case.

Furthermore, based on medical staff opinions that B would have lacked the physical strength to even move after vomiting such a large volume of blood, the court dismissed her claim that her son had signed the insurance contract.

The court stated, "The defendant was virtually the sole guardian 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, taking into account that "her attempt to collect the 200 million won insurance payout ended in an attempt, and that Defendant appears to have shouldered the financial responsibility for her family's livelihood."

Both the prosecution and Defendant have appealed, expressing dissatisfaction with the first-instance ruling.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Lee Eui-seon | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.