Teenager gets maximum 10-year sentence for attempted murder of mother and daughters

A teenage boy has received a maximum sentence of 10 years for the attempted murder of a mother and her two daughters in an apartment in Wonju. The Chuncheon District Court's Wonju Branch handed down the sentence on Thursday to the 16-year-old, identified only as 'A', who was charged with attempted murder, special residential intrusion, and producing/distributing child sexual abuse material.

The court sentenced 'A' to a long-term sentence of 10 years and a short-term sentence of 7 years. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of a sex offense treatment program, be restricted from working at child and adolescent institutions for 7 years, and undergo 5 years of probation. A request for an electronic ankle monitor was denied.

The court highlighted the defendant's detailed planning, noting he researched hiring a hitman, selected murder weapons, deceived the victims to obtain their apartment's main entrance password and the father's absence times, and waited for 35 minutes before intruding. "The defendant stated during the prosecution's investigation, 'Killing one person or three is the same, and I thought as long as I killed them quickly and wasn't caught,' showing a lack of recognition for the value of life and no sincere remorse," the court stated.

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Killing one person or three is the same, and I thought as long as I killed them quickly and wasn't caught.

However, the court also considered mitigating factors, including the defendant's age (15 at the time of the crime), potential for rehabilitation, a borderline intellectual functioning assessment, and no prior juvenile or criminal record. These factors led the court to impose a non-fixed-term sentence, which allows for a range of sentence lengths, rather than the maximum possible sentence for juvenile offenders in severe crimes.

The prosecution had sought the maximum sentence of 20 years, arguing the crime warranted the death penalty or life imprisonment under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes. The crime occurred on February 5th when 'A' attacked the 40-year-old woman and her teenage daughters with a knife he had prepared. The mother sustained a severe neck injury, and her daughters suffered wounds to their arms and shoulders. 'A' was apprehended by police hiding near the apartment shortly after the attack.

Following the incident, the victim's family launched a public petition on the National Assembly website calling for stricter penalties for minors convicted of violent crimes. The petition argues that reduced sentences solely based on age inflict further trauma on victims and their families, emphasizing the need for clear standards and effective punishments for juvenile offenders.

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If the penalty is significantly reduced simply because the perpetrator is a minor, it becomes another form of violence against the victim and their family. Clear standards and effective punishments are necessary for violent crimes committed by minors.