24-07-2025
Woman suspected of neglecting disabled brother, leading to death
A South Korean woman accused of letting her intellectually disabled and injured brother die through years of neglect is facing punishment, as the prosecution sought a seven-year prison term.
Prosecutors in Daegu requested the Daegu District Court to convict the 47-year-old defendant on charges including death caused by neglect.
It is alleged that she and her husband, who lived with the victim since 2011, willfully let her older brother die in 2015.
The victim had suffered serious injuries from at least seven accidents between 2013 and 2014 that all occurred inside their home. Despite the hospital warning his conditions were severe, the couple repeatedly brought him home, rather than pursuing further medical care.
It was found that the husband had multiple life insurance policies under the victim's name, with the couple named as the beneficiaries. The prosecution argues that the victim's conditions and the defendants' repeated failure to seek proper care, plus financial motive from the insurance, support their conclusion that they deliberately neglected the victim.
The couple was indicted together in 2015, but the trial is ongoing only for the female defendant as the husband fled while out on bail in 2017. The court is expected to deliver its verdict in October, separately for the female defendant, while the trial for the husband remains stalled.
The female defendant has denied the charges, claiming that she knew nothing of what happened between her husband and her brother.
