50-Year-Old Man Sentenced to Fine for Assaulting a Caregiver
The Seoul North District Court's Criminal Division 3, presided over by Judge Park Seok-geun, sentenced a 50-year-old man, referred to as A, to a fine of 5 million KRW for assaulting a caregiver.
The incident took place in November 2020, when A assaulted caregiver B after she left his mother's home without turning on the boiler.
A pushed B's shoulder and shouted, "If my mom catches a cold and dies, will you be responsible?"
Despite the assault, B continued to work, suppressing her waist pain with painkillers for the sake of her livelihood. However, she ultimately sought medical attention and was diagnosed with a "fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra," which required 12 weeks of treatment.
Following this, she reported the assault and expressed her intention to resign to the welfare center. However, before her resignation was accepted, she received a termination notice from A's side.
B requested to work for one more month to receive her severance pay, but the welfare center did not accept her request.
The court emphasized that B, being 72 years old at the time, tried to continue her work as a caregiver for her livelihood, and deemed her actions to be reasonable.
Additionally, the court noted that while the defendant A appeared to be reflecting on his wrongdoings, the nature of the crime was serious, he had made no efforts to restore the victim's damages, and the degree of the victim's injuries was not minor. Consequently, a fine was imposed.
This incident has once again shed light on the poor working conditions and occupational hazards faced by caregivers. There is a growing call for social awareness regarding the difficulties and unfair treatment that elderly caregivers endure for their livelihoods.
Despite playing a socially significant role, caregivers are often faced with low wages and unstable employment. Institutional support for the protection of their rights and improvement of their working conditions is urgently needed.
Image Source: Material photo to aid in understanding the article / gettyimagesbank
