A parent who assaulted a daycare teacher with a soiled diaper due to suspicions of child abuse pleaded for leniency in the appeals trial.
On the 3rd, during the first hearing of the appeals case regarding Mr. A (46) for charges of injury, presided over by Chief Judge Park Eun-jin of the 3rd Criminal Appeals Division of Daejeon District Court, Mr. A's side argued that the sentence was inappropriate and claimed misunderstandings of facts and legal principles.
Mr. A's lawyer emphasized the impulsiveness of the act by stating, "The victimized teacher entered the hospital room of Mr. A's second child without an appointment and unauthorized, despite the room being off-limits."
They continued, "The act was temporary and impulsive, and we ask that you consider the fact that the defendant is remorseful and has confessed to his actions."
Mr. A was tried for inflicting approximately two weeks of injury on teacher B by hitting their face with a soiled diaper at a hospital in Sejong City around 4 PM on September 10, 2023.
At that time, teacher B had visited the hospital to apologize for issues regarding injuries sustained by Mr. A's eldest child at the daycare. However, Mr. A threw the diaper at B's face, claiming she had not properly cared for their child.
The plea from the victimized teacher’s family and the parent’s final statement
After the incident, B’s husband expressed his anguish through a national petition, stating, "I saw a photo of my wife's face covered in feces."
He revealed, "Since the beginning of this year, my wife has been suffering from verbal abuse, unreasonable demands, and false accusations of child abuse from a bullying parent, leading me to strongly urge her to resign, and now this has happened."
He also requested that "daycare teachers should be provided with a protective system."
In his final statement, Mr. A mentioned, "There were disputes in the civil trial, but I accepted the court's mediation recommendation to end it as quickly as possible and provided the victimized teacher with 45 million won."
He added, "I am ashamed and embarrassed for losing control and committing the act. The wrongdoing and responsibility for the injuries are mine, and I ask for a chance to live a mature life moving forward."
The prosecution stated, "The nature of the crime is not light, and it is difficult to see any signs of remorse as the defendant still claims he was justified in entering the victim's hospital room," and sought a one-year sentence, the same as in the first trial.
The court plans to continue the sentencing for Mr. A on the 17th.
Image source: youtube 'jtbc news', reference photos for understanding the article / gettyimagebank, national petition posted by B's husband / national petition.
