A high-rise apartment complex / Courtesy of Getty Images

A woman who threw her 11-month-old nephew from a high-rise apartment, resulting in his death, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The Daegu District Court's western branch on Thursday sentenced the 42-year-old woman to 15 years in prison and ordered a five-year probation for throwing her nephew from the 24th-floor balcony of an apartment in Yucheon-dong, Daegu, on May 8, which was Korea's Parents' Day.

Before visiting her brother's home that day, she had secretly packed a knife in her bag but later changed her plan, fearing she would be caught if she used the weapon.

The woman, who had a history of antisocial personality disorder and depression, had stopped her medication after being discharged from a hospital.

After asking if she could carry her nephew, she locked the door and threw the child from the balcony when the baby's mother wasn't present.

She made disturbing comments to her sister-in-law, including, "I euthanized him" and "I would have hurt him more at the hospital."

Prosecutors sought a 20-year sentence, citing the premeditated nature of the crime, as she had secretly brought a knife and locked the door before committing the act.

The court explained the decision, saying, "The victim, unable to express himself, died in agony, and his mother will live with the emotional scars and pain for the rest of her life."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.