JEONJU, South Korea– An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a 25-year prison sentence for a man charged with beating his 2-week-old son to death earlier this year.
The Gwangju High Court upheld the lower court ruling, convicting the 24-year-old of causing the death of his infant son by repeatedly hitting his face and legs, and throwing him against a bed at a residence in Iksan, about 180 kilometers south of Seoul, between Feb. 3-9.
The baby died of a cerebral hemorrhage and severe head injuries just two weeks after he was born.
The court also maintained a seven-year prison sentence for the man’s wife, the baby’s mother, on charges of child abuse.
According to investigators, the man claimed he had committed the crime because the baby cried too much and he had a suspicion that he may not be the baby’s biological father. The mother said she took part in the crime due to postnatal stress.
The couple was also found to have invited a friend over to their home for drinks, and they also went out while the baby was suffering from a seizure and other health symptoms in the aftermath of the abuse.
Delivering the ruling, the court said it is reasonable to believe that the father knew there could be serious consequences concerning his son’s life after the abuse, though he claimed he had no intention to kill him.
“The victim, who should have been protected and nurtured (by his parents), died too soon due to their inhumane treatments,” the court said, pointing out the brutality of the couple’s actions.
“They did not even take measures to save the baby’s life in fear their abuse would be revealed if they took him to a hospital,” the court added.
According to court records, the couple searched for ways to make the bruises go away and watched the news on child abuse cases on the internet instead of taking their hurt baby to the hospital.
Source: Yonhap News Agency