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Appellate court reduces sentence for woman who immolated abusive boyfriend

Published: 09 Apr. 2025, 15:38 Updated: 09 Apr. 2025, 19:02

Members of women’s rights groups call on the court to recognize the actions of a woman in her 40s, who was indicted for arson resulting in death, as self-defense at the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju, North Jeolla, on April 9. [YONHAP]

A woman convicted of killing her boyfriend by setting fire to his home while he slept received a reduced sentence on appeal, the Gwangju High Court announced Wednesday.

The Jeonju branch of the Gwangju High Court sentenced the 43-year-old woman to 10 years in prison, reducing the 12-year term imposed by the initial court on charges of arson resulting in death.

Prosecutors said the woman set a blanket on fire with a lighter at around 3 a.m. on May 11 last year at the man’s home in Gunsan, North Jeolla. He was reportedly drunk and asleep.

She then went outside and watched the fire spread. Police found her intoxicated near an outhouse and arrested her at the scene.

A police car [YONHAP]

When asked why she didn’t stop the fire, she reportedly said, “The fire had to keep burning. If it went out, I would have been killed.”

Investigators said the man had assaulted her during a drinking session earlier that night. The two had been in a relationship since 2019. Police concluded she acted out of longstanding resentment due to repeated abuse.

Court records show that the man had served a one-year prison term in 2023 for aggravated assault related to dating violence and continued to beat her after his release.

The original court cited the deliberate nature of the crime and her lack of remorse in imposing a 12-year sentence.

“She started the fire while he slept and made no attempt to reconcile with the victim’s family,” the ruling said.

Both the woman and prosecutors appealed. She argued the court had misunderstood the facts and misapplied the law. The prosecution claimed the sentence was too light.

The Joint Action Committee supporting the defendant, composed of 34 women’s rights organizations nationwide, holds a press conference in front of the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju, North Jeolla, on March 6. [YONHAP]

The appeals court reduced the sentence, citing the circumstances surrounding the crime. The court rejected her claims of self-defense, excessive defense and diminished capacity.

“Her actions showed intent to kill, not passive resistance,” the ruling said.

However, the court acknowledged she acted under emotional instability, apathy and anger.

“Her intent appears to have been conditional, not absolute,” it said. “Given those factors, the original sentence was unreasonably harsh.”

After the ruling, a coalition of women’s rights groups held a press conference outside the Jeonju District Court, condemning the decision. They said the case revealed gaps in the legal system’s treatment of dating violence.

Calling the woman a “survivor,” the groups said, “This ruling shows victims must die before their abuse is acknowledged.”

They called for stronger protections for women facing violence at the hands of their partners.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]