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A woman in her 30s has been sentenced to prison — with the term suspended — for beating and verbally abusing her 7-year-old son.
The Cheongju District Court's Criminal Division 3, presided over by Judge Ji Yun-seop, sentenced A, 32, to six months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act through child abuse. The court also ordered probation, 40 hours of child abuse treatment counseling, and a one-year ban on employment at child-related institutions.
A was indicted after she struck her son, identified as B, 7, three times on the back with her open hand aboard an intercity bus traveling from Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, to Cheongju last August.
A also hurled profanities at the boy during the incident, telling him, "Even if you die, no adult will care." She had previously been punished for a similar offense.
A told investigators she committed the assault because B had refused to wear a mask.
"The victim appears to have suffered considerable psychological trauma from this incident," the court said in its ruling. It added that it weighed "the defendant's remorseful attitude and the absence of any prior criminal record beyond a fine" in determining the sentence.
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