A South Korean man convicted of pouring boiling water on his sleeping wife has had his prison sentence reduced on appeal after reaching a settlement with her.
An appellate panel at the Uijeongbu District Court reduced the sentence for the man in his 40s from three years and six months to three years, citing a settlement that included a 15 million won ($11,200) payment and the victim’s request for leniency.
The man poured boiling water on his wife’s face as she slept at their home in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, around noon on Dec. 3 last year. The woman, a Thai national in her 30s, suffered second-degree burns.
He was convicted of inflicting bodily injury using a dangerous object.
The attack came to light after medical staff at a burn hospital suspected domestic violence and alerted police. It also drew attention in Thailand after an acquaintance shared the victim’s account on social media.
According to the victim’s account reported during the investigation, her husband said he wanted to disfigure her so she could not date other men. He told investigators he had accidentally spilled the water after falling, but admitted the charges during his trial.
At the first trial, the court described the attack on his sleeping wife as cruel and inhumane, saying it had caused severe physical and psychological trauma.
The court said her treatment had cost about 15 million won, with another 3.6 million won expected to be needed. Much of the expense had been covered by Thai acquaintances and donations from Koreans, while the defendant had contributed only a small amount.
The victim initially submitted a statement saying she did not want her husband punished, but later withdrew that position after consulting lawyers.
The first-instance court questioned whether her initial request reflected her true wishes, noting that she appeared to have mistakenly believed a lighter sentence would help her obtain a divorce more quickly.
On appeal, however, the court cited the subsequent settlement and her renewed request for leniency in reducing his sentence by six months.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com