Mother's Appeal Trial Begins in Abuse Death of 4-Month-Old Son

The first hearing for the appeal trial of mother A (30s), who was sentenced to life in prison in the first trial for allegedly abusing her 4-month-old son to death, is set to take place on the 7th. A was indicted on charges of assaulting her son and abandoning him in a bathtub at her home in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, last October, leading to his death. Investigations revealed that the infant died from severe full-body trauma, including multiple rib fractures, a brain hemorrhage, and internal abdominal bleeding. The first trial court, considering the severity and brutality of the crime, sentenced A to life imprisonment.

A's legal team, arguing that the first trial's sentence was excessive, plans to seek a reduced sentence during the trial presided over by the Gwangju High Court's Criminal Division 2.

Outside the Gwangju High Court, where the first appeal hearing will be held on the 7th, civic groups are planning to hold press conferences and call for strict punishment for A. A mobile petition demanding severe punishment organized by the civic group 'Children's Garden Solidarity' has garnered over 116,000 signatures from citizens so far.

Meanwhile, an amendment requiring child protection at the stage where signs of abuse emerge, rather than after a child has died, has been prepared and submitted to the office of National Assembly member Seo Young-kyo.