A suicide survivor was ruled guilty of neglect in the death of her companion, Suwon District Court said Monday.
The convicted woman, surnamed Kim, had attempted to die with a man she came to know through an online community on suicide. She survived the attempt alone, and was put on trial.
Kim, 21, had asked for a jury trial, whereupon the jury of seven unanimously declared her guilty. The court sentenced Kim to six months in prison with a two-year probation period.
(123RF)
The court said Kim suffered manic depression at the time of her suicide attempt, but she was capable of making life-changing decisions for the man.
Kim, who first met the man in December 2015, found a deserted house in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, where they took sleeping pills together and lit briquettes in an enclosed space for death by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Kim, however, woke up and escaped, leaving the man to die.
The court said it considered Kim’s psychological and physical conditions in determining her punishment. The deceased man’s family did not want Kim to be punished.
By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)
