Wreaths are lined up in memory of a four-month-old boy allegedly murdered by his mother outside the Gwangju District Court in Suncheon on Thursday. Photo by Yonhap
Prosecutors on Thursday demanded a life sentence for a mother accused of abusing and murdering her four-month-old son last year.
The 30-something woman faces charges of indiscriminately beating her baby before leaving him in a bathtub at their home in Yeosu, about 350 kilometers south of Seoul, where he died from multiple fractures and internal bleeding on Oct. 22.
Prosecutors also demanded a 10-year-term for the woman’s husband on charges of neglecting the abuse and threatening a witness in the case. The couple had both been indicted with physical detention.
“Grave punishment is inevitable as there is no sense of remorse or regret for the abuse even an adult would not have been able to endure,” the prosecution said.
An investigation found that the woman engaged in abusive behavior against her son over 19 instances since Aug. 24.
The case drew nationwide outcry after a local broadcaster aired footage of the abuse, prompting a group of lawmakers to submit a petition for the heaviest possible punishment against the woman.
The couple’s sentencing trial will take place on April 23.
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