Choir Director Charged with Abusing and Killing High School Student Seeks Life Sentence

The prosecution has requested a life sentence for a choir director accused of abusing and murdering a high school student with whom she lived at a church. On November 25, the Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 13, presided over by Judge Jang Woo-young, held a sentencing hearing for A (female, 52), the choir director from a local church in Incheon, along with B (female, 54), a church member, and another female church member in her 40s, who are all facing charges of child abuse and murder. The biological mother of the victim, who is also charged with child neglect, was present in court as well.

During the hearing, the prosecution sought a life sentence for A, while B and the other female church member were each recommended to receive 30 years in prison. The victim's mother, who is accused of neglecting her daughter by sending her to the church instead of a hospital for necessary psychiatric treatment, faced a proposed sentence of five years.

The prosecution stated, "A bears the greatest responsibility for the victim's death as she directed and received reports of all the crimes from B and others who blindly followed her, yet she continues to provide false testimonies." They also accused A of instructing others to destroy evidence to evade punishment.

Furthermore, the prosecution noted that B and the other church members, while following A's orders, subjected the victim to brutal abuse without remorse, thereby tarnishing the deceased's reputation.

Regarding the victim's mother, the prosecution remarked, "Despite her daughter's death, she has shown more inclination towards false statements than remorse during the investigation and trial, to the extent that she cannot be considered a mother to the victim."

The prosecution added, "A and her accomplices sent messages about fighting against Satan and demons, searched for methods of punishment in psychiatric hospitals, and targeted the victim as if she were possessed, ultimately leading to her death."

The defense attorneys for A and the others argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution does not sufficiently prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, calling for an acquittal or, at the very least, a lenient sentence. They claimed there was no motive for the alleged crimes and that the victim's family did not wish for punishment.

The defense further contended that the defendants had no motive to abuse the victim and had cared for her selflessly, asserting that the act of restraining her was a minimal measure to protect her from greater risks such as self-harm.

They also claimed that the defendants did not confine the victim and that she could have left the premises whenever she wanted. They urged the court to consider the choir's contributions to promoting national pride and positive influence through music.

In her final statement, A expressed her anticipation for a wise ruling from the judge, while B stated, "I cared for her with all my heart and had no intention of abusing or killing her."

A, B, and the other defendants are accused of abusing and ultimately killing 17-year-old C, who lived at the church from February to May 15. They allegedly subjected her to severe mistreatment, including binding her arms and legs, forcing her to transcribe the Bible, and making her climb stairs for an hour from the basement to the seventh floor.

C collapsed while eating at the church on the evening of May 15 and was transported to a hospital by emergency services, but she passed away four hours later.

The sentencing for A and the others is scheduled for December 6 at the Incheon District Court.