A teenager who attempted to murder a junior middle school student because she refused to meet him has been sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison in a remanding trial.

The Suwon High Court sentenced the teenager, identified as A, to 7 years and 6 months in prison, overturning the lower court's ruling in the remand trial for attempted murder held today (the 23rd).

Previously, A was indicted on charges of striking a female middle school student (then 14 years old) in the head with a blunt object and attacking her with a weapon near a middle school in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, in August 2024 as she was on her way to school.

Investigations revealed that A, who suffered from an intellectual disability, committed the crime harboring a grudge after the victim told him to stop contacting her.

The first trial sentenced A to a maximum of 8 years and a minimum of 5 years in prison, stating, "His intelligence and mental difficulties appear to have somewhat influenced his motive for the crime." The second trial increased the sentence to a maximum of 9 years and a minimum of 6 years in prison, pointing out that "he only shows an attitude of trying to lessen his responsibility by using his medical history as an excuse."

However, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the High Court, stating, "The appellate court failed to take sufficient measures to guarantee the defendant's right to defense and omitted a psychological evaluation regarding his mental illness."

Consequently, the remand trial court conducted a new psychiatric evaluation and concluded that A was not in a state of diminished capacity—meaning his ability to discern objects or make decisions was not impaired at the time of the crime.

The court pointed out, "The method of the crime was extremely cruel, and given the motive and the relationship with the victim, the nature of the offense is very grave," adding, "The victim is suffering extreme pain and unable to recover her daily life, and the defendant has not been forgiven by the victim."

However, the court explained, "The sentence was determined by taking into consideration that the defendant admitted to the facts, the crime ended in an attempt, and he was a teenage minor at the time of the offense."

(Photo: Yonhap News)