Excuse of intoxication for crimes

[Anchor]

A man in his 60s, who wielded a weapon at a supermarket employee, was handed over to the prosecution today (May 8) while in custody.

This man claims he does not remember the incident because he was drunk, and it is said that he may receive a so-called reduction in punishment due to intoxication.

Should we still be excusing such behavior just because of intoxication?

Let's think about it together.

Reporter Kim Bo-dam reports.

[Report]

A man wearing a hat and mask exits the police station.

He is Mr. A, who was arrested for suddenly attacking a female employee with a weapon at a supermarket in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, on the 29th of last month.

Mr. A was drinking in front of the supermarket, and when the employee intervened, he followed her inside and committed the crime.

After being arrested by the police, he stated, "I drank two or three bottles of soju and I don't remember anything because I was drunk."

[Hanam 'Weapon Rampage' Suspect/Voice Altered: "I have no memory of coming over to the Hanam area at all. I don't remember much about that."]

Fortunately, the victim, who suffered severe injuries to her neck and hands, survived but has been diagnosed with difficulties in daily life moving forward.

[Hanam 'Weapon Rampage' Victim's Son: "The doctor told me that she would hardly be able to work. We will have to see how rehabilitation goes, but she may or may not recover..."]

If the perpetrator's statement of "not remembering due to intoxication" is accepted, the sentence may be reduced due to diminished capacity from heavy drinking.

The so-called 'reduction due to intoxication' has often been used as a means of leniency.

Child sex offender Cho Doo-soon was granted a reduced sentence after his claim for diminished capacity due to alcohol was accepted, and Park Dae-sung, who murdered a teenage boy he had never met, even made false statements about drinking heavily to seek a reduced sentence.

[Kim Hwan-seob/Lawyer: "I think it would be reasonable to accept (reduction due to intoxication) only in truly exceptional cases, like extraordinary circumstances."]

Among the five major violent crimes that occurred in 2023, 12% involved perpetrators who were under the influence of alcohol.

In the National Assembly, three bills to abolish 'reduction due to intoxication' have been proposed, but they have yet to pass the committee stage.

This is KBS News, Kim Bo-dam.