Man jailed after setting fire to mother-in-law in exorcism ritual

A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced a 44-year-old man to two years and six months in prison for setting his mother-in-law on fire while performing what he claimed to be an exorcism.

The defendant, surnamed Kim, was taking care of the 68-year-old victim at a hospital in Nowon-gu, northeastern Seoul, on May 29, when he lit pieces of tissue paper on fire and threw them at her. The victim sustained second-degree burns on various parts of her body including her scalp, left hand, face and neck.

Kim was charged with violating Article 164, Clause 2 of the Criminal Act, which states that a person who has injured another by setting fire to a building shall be punished by up to a lifetime in prison. While the law stipulates a minimum sentence of five years in prison, the criteria set by the state-run Sentencing Committee recommends between two years and six months and five years in prison for such a crime.

The man was also charged with attempted murder of one's ascendant, which can also be applied in the case of a spouse's parent or grandparent.

Kim's lawyer claimed that throwing the tissue was part of an exorcism ritual and that he did not mean to injure the victim, saying that the tissue set fire to her hair only because she moved. Kim also claimed to have been suffering from mental illness at the time of the crime, and was reportedly taking medication for his depression which had a possible side effect of hallucination.

The court, however, dismissed his claims that Kim was not of sound mind, saying that he was fully aware of the potential for damage to the victim, the bed and the hospital.

The court dismissed the attempted murder charges, saying that the evidence presented by the prosecution is not sufficient to prove his intent to kill the victim.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)