An 11-year prison term was finalized for a father who beat his 10-year-old elementary school son dozens of times across the body with an aluminum baseball bat, causing his death.
The Supreme Court's First Division (presiding Justice Seo Kyung-hwan) said on the 20th that it finalized the lower court ruling that sentenced a person surnamed Seo (44), who was brought to trial on charges including child abuse resulting in death, to 11 years in prison on the 8th.
Seo was indicted on charges of beating his son, a boy surnamed Seo (10), 20 to 30 times with an aluminum baseball bat at their home in Incheon's Yeonsu District in January last year, causing his death.
Seo was found to have decided to discipline his son after hearing from his wife that "the child lied about having done the workbook homework and left the house." While being disciplined, the son said, "I did wrong, so I will leave the house and live alone," and Seo, angered, committed the crime. The son died the next day of traumatic shock due to multiple blunt-force injuries.
In the first trial, the court sentenced Seo to 12 years in prison, ordered 40 hours in a child abuse treatment program, and imposed a five-year employment restriction at child-related institutions. The first-instance court said, "This crime was committed by the biological father at home, where the victimized child should have been protected from abuse and violence and felt the safest."
In the second trial, the court accepted Seo's claim of an unfair sentence and reduced the term to 11 years. The appellate court said, "From the early stages of the investigation, the defendant has admitted all the crimes and has shown a remorseful attitude," adding, "The victim's biological mother does not want the defendant punished, and the defendant has children other than the victim whom he must raise."
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, finding no error in the lower court's sentencing judgment.