A civic movement is urging citizens to submit petitions demanding severe punishment for parents charged with abusing their 4-month-old infant to death.
The Korea Child Abuse Prevention Association posted a notice on its website on January 6 titled "How to Send Petitions to the Court in the Yeosu Monster Mom Abuse Death Case," calling for the public to submit petitions requesting harsh penalties.
"Those who watched SBS's 'Unanswered Questions' or read related articles must have been deeply shocked," the association said. "Child abuse deaths mostly occur at home and often go unreported or are downplayed, but this case was exposed in its full brutality because of home camera footage."
The group added, "However, sentences for infant murder in Korea are considerably light. Most are under 10 years in prison, and this should not be the case. The weight of life should not be diminished just because the victim is an infant."
"The deceased baby has nowhere to appeal for justice, and trials proceed with the living perpetrators' cunning words and false tears," the association emphasized. "Simply feeling sorry will not bring harsh punishment to these monsters. Many people must submit petitions so the court knows the public is outraged."
The association also noted that the accused couple has been submitting letters of remorse to the court. "Even now, Mr. Ra and Mr. Jeong are diligently writing and submitting letters of remorse to the court, submitting them daily like a diary," the group said. "Whether they are truly repentant or writing under their lawyer's coaching to reduce their sentences is unclear, but anyone who watched the broadcast would find it hard to believe they are genuinely remorseful."
The case occurred in October last year in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The couple, identified by their surnames Ra and Jeong, are accused of abusing their 133-day-old infant to death.
The deceased infant had bruises covering the entire body from head to chin and elbows, with fractures found in 23 locations including the ribs. The autopsy determined the cause of death as "hemorrhagic shock and multiple organ failure due to multiple traumas." The medical examiner concluded that accumulated repeated traumatic injuries led to death.
The biological mother Ra claimed, "The bruises were from hitting the baby's arms and legs while performing CPR on the unconscious infant, not from abuse." The biological father Jeong also claimed that "the wounds on the baby's face were from a fall from an adult bed a few days earlier" and submitted edited home camera footage to police.
However, the secured home camera footage clearly captured Ra abusing the infant. The recordings included dull friction sounds, the baby's crying, and verbal abuse such as "Die," "I don't need someone like you," and "Just die."
Prosecutors obtained additional home camera footage through search and seizure, confirming abuse including Ra holding the baby by the feet and turning it upside down, throwing the infant, and stepping over the face of the baby lying down.
The case drew renewed public outrage after being featured on SBS investigative program "Unanswered Questions" broadcast on December 28.
Ra was indicted in November last year on charges of child abuse murder, while Jeong faces charges of aiding abuse. The couple has hired eight lawyers from one of Korea's top 10 law firms and has reportedly submitted a total of 42 letters of remorse to the court—31 from Ra and 11 from Jeong.
The couple has children born in consecutive years, but no signs of abuse were found in their first child. Jeong applied for bail citing the need to raise their first child, but prosecutors requested the court reject the bail application, stating that "the local government has promised to actively assist with childcare."
The final trial hearing for the couple is scheduled for January 26.