[Herald DB]
[Herald DB]

A man in his 60s has been sentenced to prison for imprisoning and assaulting his wife while divorce mediation was underway.

Seoul Southern District Court's Criminal Division 13, presided over by Judge Seo Bo-min, sentenced the man, identified as A, 65, to three years in prison on charges of aggravated confinement causing bodily harm.

A was detained in August on charges of confining and assaulting his wife. He allegedly punched her multiple times, bound both her wrists with cable ties and locked her in a bathroom. He also reportedly pressed a heated tool against parts of her body, inflicting serious injuries. Police found that A had carried out the attack after suspecting his wife of infidelity.

At the first hearing, A's defense counsel pleaded for leniency, saying he "momentarily lost his reason during the divorce mediation period." The defense also argued that he "had been suffering from severe depression while trying to confirm the victim's infidelity, but had not received proper treatment." Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence.

The court said the case was "highly blameworthy as it involved assaulting and injuring the victim during divorce mediation proceedings" and that "the physical pain the victim must have endured was considerable, making the nature of the crime grave."

However, the court noted that "the victim, a family member, expressed that she did not wish to see the defendant punished, and the defendant's family and acquaintances have also submitted petitions on his behalf," adding that "the defendant has no prior criminal record." The court nonetheless concluded that "although the victim does not wish to pursue punishment, a custodial sentence was unavoidable given the circumstances and manner of the crime."


choigo@heraldcorp.com