Care Worker Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Fatal Assault on Elderly Patient with Dementia

A court has handed down a prison sentence to a care worker who repeatedly assaulted an elderly patient with dementia in his 80s, leading to the patient's death at a nursing home where he worked.

On May 29, the Anyang Branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced a man in his 60s, identified as A, who worked as a care worker at a nursing home in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, to four years in prison on charges of assault resulting in death.

A is accused of assaulting the victim, an 80-year-old patient identified as B, multiple times in mid-November last year after B refused to be shaved ahead of a scheduled family visit.

B was transported to a nearby university hospital, where he was diagnosed with a "traumatic subdural hemorrhage" and eventually passed away.

During the trial, it was reported that A denied the charges, claiming he "only pretended to threaten the victim" and that his actions were "in self-defense to ward off B's aggression."

However, the first-instance court rejected A's claims, citing clear physical evidence such as CCTV footage and noting that as a care worker, he had a duty to care for the elderly patient, even if the victim had shown resistance.

When asked for a comment by SBS reporters, the nursing home avoided providing a clear statement, saying only that they felt "unfairly treated."

A was arrested by police in late November following the incident and has been standing trial while in custody.

While the court acknowledged that A was shifting responsibility onto the victim without admitting his own wrongdoing, it sentenced him to four years in prison, taking into account that he was a first-time offender with no prior criminal record.

(Photo: Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)
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