Court Reduces Sentence for Man Convicted of Killing Abusive Father, Claims Self-Defense

A statue of Justitia symbolizing justice resolution [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A man in his 30s, who was previously convicted for killing his father in the Philippines, has had his prison sentence significantly reduced following an appeal. The court recognized that his actions were driven by a desire to protect his family from an abusive patriarch.

The ruling highlighted the father’s pattern of verbal abuse and the tense situation leading to the incident. On that fateful day, he threatened to harm both the mother and sister with a weapon, escalating the conflict.

“The incident revealed a heated scenario where the father’s aggressive behavior left the family in a state of distress,” reported the court. They acknowledged that the man acted in a moment filled with panic and frustration during a domestic violence event instigated by his father. He expressed deep regret over the incident and pledges to take care of the family members who survived.

The mother and sister, tragically caught up in the events, urged the court for leniency, emphasizing the absence of any criminal history for the man.

Details surrounding the harrowing episode surfaced, revealing it occurred back in October 2017 in the family’s home. The father was upset about some delays while getting ready to launch a Korean restaurant and ended up attacking the sister. In a bid to defend, their mother intervened but was met with threats, prompting the young man to take action to stop the violence.

The defense act resulted in injuries for him, as he sustained cuts to both arms while trying to shield his family. To subdue his father, he resorted to striking him with a frying pan and subsequently, the struggle escalated to choking him.

In their concluding statements, the court remarked, “The actions taken by the man were motivated by self-defense; he sought to prevent a grave injury to his mother and sister during a catastrophic moment in their lives.”

Translated from JoongAng Ilbo via AI generative methods and revised by the Korea JoongAng Daily team.

BY JUNG SI-NAE [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]