Prosecutors have demanded heavy prison sentences for a couple in their 30s indicted on charges of abusing and killing their two-year-old daughter.

During the sentencing hearing held at the Daejeon District Court today (September 29), prosecutors asked the court to sentence the biological father, Mr. A, in his 30s, to life imprisonment.

A 15-year prison term was requested for the biological mother, Mrs. B.

Prosecutors pointed out regarding Mr. A, "Even considering the stress of raising the victim, who was born prematurely and had poor health, the degree of abuse against the victimized child was very severe and repetitive," adding, "They tried to minimize the crime and conceal it by coordinating stories with each other."

Criticizing Mrs. B, they stated, "The case is extremely grave as she habitually assaulted and killed the child along with her husband."

The couple was sent to trial on charges of abusing and killing their two-year-old biological daughter at their home in Seo-gu, Daejeon, on December 16, 2024.

According to prosecutors, the day before her death, the couple fed the toddler extreme-spicy hot chicken flavor sauce, which is difficult even for adults to handle, and subsequently dropped the child on the floor while washing her.

Investigations showed that noticing the child looking unwell, they poured soju into a medicine bottle and fed it to her instead of taking her to the hospital.

It was found that the child had been born prematurely and received intensive care in a pediatric intensive care unit for over a year.

Prosecutors believe that the couple frequently beat the child starting in October 2024, when she was discharged from the intensive care unit for the second time. An autopsy revealed that the child suffered fractures to her skull and ribs.

The child also had bruises on her body and was in a state of malnutrition.

Medical appraisal results reportedly indicated that feeding her soju would have made breathing even more difficult for the child.

In court today, Mr. A stated regarding the reasons for the abuse, "I was under a lot of stress," but added, "I didn't know the child would die."

Mrs. B responded to the effect that feeding the spicy sauce was intended to stimulate the child's appetite, and that they gave her soju thinking it would help with blood circulation because elderly people in rural areas sometimes gave children alcohol.

Their defense counsel appealed for leniency, stating, "Raising four children without much help was very difficult, and struggling day to day with financial hardships led to actions that should not have been taken."

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 22.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Seo Byeong-wook | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News