A Tragic Choice Due to Conflict Over Nursing Home Admission

A court has imposed a heavy sentence on a woman in her 50s who set her house on fire, resulting in the death of her mother in her 80s, after having ongoing conflicts over her mother's admission to a nursing home.

On the 20th, the 13th Criminal Division of the Daejeon District Court (led by Judge Jang Min-kyung) announced that it has sentenced A to 10 years in prison for charges of parricide and arson resulting in death.

According to the prosecution, A is accused of starting a fire using butane gas at her residence in Dong-gu, Daejeon, around midnight on December 2, 2023. As a result of the fire, A's mother, who was in her 80s, lost her life.

A had been personally caring for her mother, who suffered from chronic illnesses, but it was revealed that she had been in a continuous conflict with her mother regarding the issue of admission to a nursing home.

Extreme Choice Caused by Caregiving Stress

On the day of the incident, A also had an argument with her mother about the admission to the nursing home, and when her mother refused to go, A chose to set the house on fire as an extreme solution.

During the trial, A claimed that she committed the crime while in a state of mental impairment due to excessive drinking. However, the court did not accept A's assertion of her diminished capacity.

The court determined that A was not in a state of diminished decision-making ability, considering that she had detailed the arson motives to the police who responded to the scene, stating, "Caring for my mother was too hard; I set the fire to die together with her," and that she attempted to put out the fire by throwing water when it spread.

The court pointed out, "This act is anti-social and inhumane, infringing upon the life of a direct descendant, and the method of starting a fire in a place where the victim, who cannot evacuate due to her chronic illness, stays is extremely cruel."

However, the court explained its sentencing rationale, noting that "A acknowledged the facts except for the claim of diminished capacity, and considered that the defendant, who took a leave of absence from work to care for her mother, was led to commit the crime as she was feeling bleak about her circumstances."

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