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A school teacher who murdered her eight-year-old student has been spared the death penalty despite an appeal by the girl’s family.
Myeong Jae-wan stabbed Kim Hae-neul to death in South Korea in February. 48 year old seduced kim Class in the central city of Daejeon before stabbing the child and to wound On self.
The teacher requested a six-month leave of absence due to depression, but returned to work in 20 days after a doctor assessed her as fit for work, the BBC reported. However, Myoung had displayed violent behavior the day before the stabbing, including putting another teacher in a headlock.
The next day, Myeong brought a weapon with a random kid, planning to kill herself. Kim was later reported missing when she failed to reach the school bus and was found with a knife wound along with her killer.
Given the young age of the victim, the assassination shocked the nation, and South Korea’s then-acting President Choi Sang-mok attended Kim’s funeral to pay tribute.
Throughout the case, prosecutors argued that Myeong should face the death penalty and claimed he lacked remorse and that family members wanted a harsher punishment.
Prosecutors disputed that Myeong’s actions were entirely due to his mental state, rather than due to his deliberate preparation before the act, including researching information related to the murder before committing the crime.
However, the court said that although it felt the risk of recidivism was high, “it is difficult to conclude that the defendant should be executed”, korea herald Informed.
Family members who had sought the death penalty released a statement after the verdict, saying they were unhappy with the outcome.
“The court imposed a life sentence, which allows parole,” he said. “We will appeal.”
South Korea is generally seen as a safe country with strict gun control laws, but it has recently been grappling with high-profile crimes, including stabbings.
Acting President Choi ordered an investigation at the time of the assassination and urged officials to implement necessary measures to ensure that such crimes do not happen again.
“It saddens me to see incidents like this because a school should be our safest place,” Choi said. “I express my deepest condolences to the victim’s family, who have suffered profound shock and agony.”