5-year sentnece for trainee death

[Anchor]

The company commander and deputy company commander, who were indicted for subjecting a trainee to harsh punishment that ultimately led to his death, were sentenced to 5 years and 3 years in prison, respectively, in the first trial.

The bereaved family expressed their dissatisfaction, stating that the sentences were too lenient.

Reporter Jo Hyu-yeon reports.

[Report]

In May of last year, a trainee collapsed while undergoing military discipline training, known as "eol-charyeo."

He was immediately transported to a civilian hospital for treatment, but his condition worsened, and he ultimately died two days later.

It was confirmed that the unit's officers violated regulations by making the trainees run and do push-ups while fully equipped, and they were indicted for abuse of power and abusive manslaughter.

Seven months after the incident, the court sentenced the company commander to 5 years in prison and the deputy company commander to 3 years in prison.

The court determined that there was a causal relationship between the military training and the death, considering the heat injury prevention notice that was disseminated 12 days prior to the incident.

The court also pointed out that the abnormal punishment inflicted harm and undermined military morale, combat effectiveness, and public trust in the military, indicating that the culpability was severe.

The bereaved family protested, stating that the sentences were halved compared to the prosecution's request for 10 years and 7 years, respectively.

[Mother of the deceased trainee: "What parent would send their child to the military? To consider the fact that one person was killed and reduce the sentence to 5 years, I think that is unacceptable."]

They also argued that it was incomprehensible for the court not to impose a heavier penalty, viewing the actions of the unit's officers as affecting all six trainees involved.

[Kang Seok-min/Defense attorney for the trainee: "Some trainees may have done push-ups while others did not. And whether running around the track can be seen as a single act affecting all six is questionable."]

The prosecution stated that they would review whether to appeal, taking into account the opinions of the bereaved family.

This is KBS News, Jo Hyu-yeon reporting.