Ex-teacher in South Korea jailed after killing son, who she thought had autism

- Photo: Herald DB

SEOUL: A woman convicted of killing her three-year-old son and attempting to kill her father was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday (April 22), as the Daegu High Court upheld the lower court’s ruling.

The woman, who is in her 30s, had been indicted on charges including murder and attempted patricide.

The appeals court also overturned a lower court order requiring her to complete a child abuse treatment programme.

A former middle school teacher in North Gyeongsang Province, she was accused of killing her son at her home in Gumi on Dec 24, 2024, while on leave from work.

Investigators said she had mistakenly believed the boy had autism spectrum disorder and concluded that his development was not improving.

She then filled a bathtub and drowned him. After the crime, she tried to take her own life by taking sleep-inducing pills.

She was also convicted of attacking her 64-year-old father with a weapon on April 21 that year while he was sitting in a massage chair at home.

Prosecutors said she had harbored resentment toward him, believing he did not love the family and had made their lives difficult.

The attack came after she asked him to transfer ownership of his car to her because she believed having the number 0 in the plate was unlucky, and he refused.

She also faced charges of setting fire to three vehicles in connection with the incident, according to another source.

The court said she had been receiving psychiatric treatment after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophreniform disorder.

“Although she suffered from mental illness, strict punishment is necessary,” the court said, rejecting appeals from both the defendant and prosecutors.

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education removed her from duty two days after the killing and later dismissed her following disciplinary proceedings. - The Korea Herald/ANN