A woman in her 80s who was sentenced to life in prison for killing her niece with burning charcoal in what she claimed was an exorcism ritual received a significantly reduced sentence on appeal. The court changed the charge from murder to bodily injury resulting in death, finding it difficult to establish intent to kill.
The Seoul High Court's Incheon branch, Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Jeong Seung-gyu, overturned the original verdict on Friday and sentenced the 80-year-old defendant, identified only as A, to seven years in prison on the reduced charge of bodily injury resulting in death.
Four co-defendants, including A's children and followers who were also indicted on murder charges, had their charges similarly reduced to bodily injury resulting in death. They received sentences ranging from two years in prison with five years of probation to three years in prison with five years of probation. They had originally been sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison at the first trial.
Two others who had been sentenced to 10 years for aiding and abetting murder had their charges changed to aiding and abetting bodily injury resulting in death and received reduced sentences of one year and six months in prison with three years of probation.
The court determined it was difficult to conclude that the defendants acted with intent to kill the victim. "The key issue in this case is whether there was conditional intent to kill," the court said. "The indictment claims that A eliminated the victim to monopolize profits, but A owns multiple properties and cannot be considered to have been in desperate financial circumstances."
The court added, "A appears to have trusted in spiritual powers after working as a shaman for a long time, and the victim is believed to have shared certain beliefs with her."
However, the court ruled, "The defendants conducted a prolonged ritual using high-temperature charcoal, causing severe burns to the victim that resulted in her death. At minimum, intent to inflict injury and foreseeability of the fatal outcome are recognized."
Regarding sentencing, the court said, "The means of the crime were highly dangerous and the result was grave, so the culpability is not light," adding, "We comprehensively considered factors including that the defendants acted under judgment based on distorted beliefs, and that the victim's bereaved family has reached a settlement and is pleading for leniency."
A and the others were indicted in September 2024 for killing her niece, a woman in her 30s identified only as B, using burning charcoal at a restaurant in Bupyeong District, Incheon. A allegedly planned the crime, saying "we must exorcise evil spirits," after the victim tried to quit her job at the restaurant and leave.
According to investigators, the defendants confined the victim in a metal structure and subjected her to heat from burning charcoal for about three hours in what they called a "shamanistic ritual." The victim lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital but died the following day from multiple organ failure caused by the burns.
Prosecutors believe the defendants drew their followers into the crime through what is known as "gaslighting" — psychological domination — by invoking shamanistic beliefs.
