A man in his 60s who forcibly moved his father to the hospital and prevented him from receiving treatment... Prosecution ‘non-indictment’

A woman who was handed over to the prosecution on charges of forcibly moving her father to the hospital and causing his death by preventing him from receiving treatment was acquitted.

According to the legal community on the 28th, the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office decided not to indict Ms. A, a woman in her 60s, who was sent on charges of manslaughter by abandonment of her husband on the 8th of last month.

Last year, Mr. A was accused of causing the death of his father, Mr. B, by moving his hospitalized father to another hospital due to the burden of nursing fees. The attending physician, concerned that he would not receive appropriate treatment, tried to stop Mr. A from going to the hospital, but Mr. A did not comply and Mr. B eventually died.

Mr. A denied the charges. Mr. B, who was suffering from a chronic illness, no longer wanted to receive treatment at the existing hospital, and personally signed the relevant documents, expressing his intention to refuse life-sustaining treatment. They also refuted that they had taken all necessary measures for Mr. B by finding a place that could provide the same treatment as the existing hospital and transferring him there.

The prosecution determined that Mr. A was not guilty. The prosecution said, "The signature on the documents related to life-sustaining treatment appears to have been written by the victim's handwriting, and there is no indication that pressure was applied by the suspect." They added, "It is also difficult to conclude that the act of stopping treatment was against the victim's will, as it is written in the opinion that 'the patient and guardian do not want surgery.'"

Attorney Lee In-jun of the Daeryun Law Firm, who represented Mr. A, explained, "In order for the crime of manslaughter by abandonment of the family to be established, the crime of abandonment must first be established, and for this to happen, there must be a consciousness of neglecting the duty of support to the suspect. Since Mr. A did his best to treat Mr. B even at the hospital where he was moved, the charge of abandonment itself could not be established."

Reporter Kwon Byeong-seok (bsk730@fnnews.com)

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A man in his 60s who forcibly moved his father to the hospital and prevented him from receiving treatment... Prosecutor’s Office ‘Non-indictment’ (Shortcut)