A woman on Friday, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for abusing her adopted daughter to death in South Korea.
The woman, surnamed Jang, was accused by the Seoul Southern District Court for intentionally harming her daughter, named Jung-in, while she claimed that the baby’s death was an accident, according to reports.
Adopted in February last year, the 16-month-old toddler died in October after suffering internal bleeding and severe abdominal injuries.
According to an official autopsy report, the injuries were caused by “strong external force’’ as fractured bones and other signs of abuse were also found on the child’s body.
“It looks like the adoptive mother stamped on the victim’s abdomen,” the court said.
“She could have predicted that impacting another blow to the victim’s already damaged abdomen could lead to her death.
“The accused started to abuse the victim habitually about a month after adopting her and caused her death with unimaginable brutality.
“As the accused ruthlessly trampled upon the victim’s dignity and honour as a human being, it is only reasonable to separate the accused from society indefinitely,’’ the court said.
The court also sentenced the woman’s husband to five years in prison for child abuse and aiding and abetting Jang’s violence toward their adopted daughter.
Head of the Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association, Kong Hye-jung, said Friday’s ruling failed to live up to the people’s expectation to bring justice to the child.
“We will keep monitoring their second and third trials to make sure they will not have their sentences commuted,’’ she said.
(NAN)
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