[Translated text]
A woman in her 40s, who had suffered years of dating violence, set her house on fire and killed her boyfriend due to not being able to endure it any longer. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the first trial for the charge of manslaughter. On the day of the incident, she was hit by her intoxicated boyfriend several times and was seen coming out of the entrance after setting the fire. She stated, “The fire shouldn’t go out, if the fire had gone out, I would have died.”
The Gunsan Branch of Jeonju District Court (Chief Judge Jung Sung-min) announced on the 1st that A (42, female), who was indicted on charges of arson resulting in death, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. A was indicted for setting fire to a house in Gunsan City on May 11 at 3 a.m., resulting in the death of her boyfriend, B in his 30s.
She revealed to the investigative agency that she had been subjected to frequent violence while dating B for five years, and on the day of the incident, she was found to have hit B several times on the face and other parts after drinking. Despite the fire spreading throughout the house after she lit it, she did not report to 119 and was seen watching the situation.
When asked by investigators why she came out of the entrance to watch the fire after setting it, A also stated, “Because the fire shouldn’t go out… If that fire had gone out, I would have died.”
However, the court pointed out, “The dignity and sanctity of human life possess an absoluteness that cannot be handled lightly, so acts that violate this are unforgivable.” The court criticized, “The defendant set the house on fire knowing that the victim was asleep due to being drunk, so the nature of the crime is very bad.” It further stated, “As a result of the defendant’s crime, the victim lost a noble life, and the victim’s family also suffered a wound that is difficult to heal for a lifetime. Considering the defendant hasn’t made any effort to seek forgiveness from the victim’s family, severe punishment is inevitable.”