A 60-year-old South Korean woman was sentenced to three years in prison for abandoning her son, who later died from severe bleeding, after taking out life insurance policies on him, according to a court ruling.
B, with a history of liver disease, began vomiting blood on the night of September 20, 2023, and remained immobile the following day. A did not call emergency services or take him to a hospital, according to court documents. A signed the contracts without B’s consent, using a forged signature, and later submitted medical documents to claim the benefits. One insurer paid 25 million won, while another denied the claim, leading to a criminal investigation. B had vomited approximately 3 liters of blood and was unable to move, as documented in medical records, but A claimed she was unaware of his condition.
Abandonment and Insurance Fraud
A claimed she was unaware of his severe symptoms, but medical records and witness testimony contradicted this, showing B had vomited large amounts of blood and was unable to move. The court noted that A had no prior criminal record and that the insurance fraud attempt was only partially successful, as one company refused to pay. A’s husband, who had lower-body paralysis, testified that he learned of B’s condition only after he was hospitalized, contradicting A’s claims.
Court’s Rationale and Defense
A’s defense argued she had no intent to harm B and that she had signed the insurance contracts with his consent. However, the court ruled that A, as B’s sole caregiver, failed to provide emergency care, leaving him to die from complications of his illness. The court emphasized that A had access to medical information through her husband and that her actions demonstrated a disregard for B’s well-being. A’s claim that she had personally signed the insurance contract on the day of B’s death was refuted by medical evidence showing B was incapable of such activity.
Appeal Pending in Higher Court
A and the prosecution have both appealed the ruling, with the case now pending before a higher court. The court noted that A’s actions were motivated by financial gain, as she secured two life insurance policies—one worth up to 200 million won and another up to 50 million won—despite B’s critical condition. The court also cited A’s lack of remorse, stating that she showed no signs of empathy or regret for her role in B’s death.
Additional Context
A’s actions, which involved forging documents and neglecting her caregiving responsibilities, were deemed a direct cause of B’s death.
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