A South Korean court has sentenced a 48-year-old teacher, Myeong Jae-wan, to life imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of eight-year-old Kim Hae-neul. The incident, which occurred in February in Daejeon, involved Myeong luring Kim into a classroom before the attack. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty, citing the victim’s family’s call for a severe punishment. However, the court determined that while there was a high risk of reoffending, execution was not warranted.
Myeong expressed that she would reflect on her actions for the rest of her life, indicating that her judgment was impaired at the time due to ongoing mental health treatment. While prosecutors claimed that Myeong showed no remorse during the investigation, she presented multiple letters to the court expressing regret.
Prior to the incident, Myeong had taken a short leave of absence from her teaching position, citing depression but returned to work after being deemed fit by a medical professional. Reports indicated that she displayed violent behavior shortly before the stabbing, including an incident involving another teacher. On the day of the attack, education officials were on-site to address a previous altercation involving Myeong.
According to police, Myeong had purchased a weapon on the day of the assault, claiming her intention was to harm herself as well as a random child. After the incident, Kim was reported missing when a bus driver informed the school of her absence. She was later found with stab wounds. Myeong also had a neck wound, which authorities suggested might have been self-inflicted.
In response to the incident, South Korean leaders called for enhanced safety measures to prevent future occurrences. Myeong has been mandated to wear an electronic tracking device for 30 years as part of her sentencing.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3zer88yrzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss