Parents Kill Children Under 12, Then Die; Experts Urge Viewing as Child Abuse, Not 'Double Suicide'

An analysis of court rulings over the past decade (2014-2024) revealed that over 80% (86.5%) of child victims in cases where parents murdered their children and subsequently took their own lives were under 12 years old. The research team emphasized that these tragedies should not be viewed as mere 'double suicides' but rather recognized as an extreme form of child abuse targeting young lives.

A research team led by Professor Won Hye-wook of Inha University Law School analyzed 120 lower court judgments from 2014 to 2024 involving the murder of children followed by parental suicide. The scope of child victims was limited to infants, toddlers, and adolescents under 18. The findings were published in the Korean Society of Victimology's journal, 'Journal of Victimology.' Among the 163 child victims analyzed, children aged 6-12 were the largest group with 80 cases (49.1%), followed by 3-5 year olds with 37 cases (22.7%), and 0-2 year olds with 24 cases (14.7%).

In 62 cases classified as attempted murder where the child survived, 38 (61.3%) did not result in protective measures such as probation.