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Most child victims in filicide cases were 12 years old or younger, new research shows

Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 20:00

[JOONGANG ILBO]

More than eight out of 10 child victims in cases where a parent killed a child and then attempted or died by suicide were aged 12 or younger, a study showed.

A research team led by Prof. Won Hye-wook of Inha University Law School analyzed 120 lower court rulings related to cases of “filicide followed by suicide” between 2014 and 2024, including three appellate rulings in which first trial sentences were changed, according to the Korean Association of Victimology. The study was published in the academic journal “Korean Journal of Victimology” on Dec. 30 last year.

There were 170 victims in total, of whom 70 were killed by a parent. Among 163 child victims whose ages were identified, excluding seven cases with unknown ages, the average age was 7.6. Children aged 6 to 12 accounted for 80 victims, or 49.1 percent, followed by those aged 3 to 5 at 37 victims, or 22.7 percent, and those aged 0 to 2 at 24 victims, or 14.7 percent. Overall, 86.5 percent of child victims were aged 12 or younger.

The report found that the most common motive, accounting for about 42 percent of cases, was a distorted form of altruism in which parents believed their children would suffer if left alone after their death. Many of the victims were aware of the violence and resisted desperately.

“These cases are not simple tragedies but clear acts of violence and abuse that trample on children’s right to survive,” the research team said.

In terms of causes, 93 cases involved a single factor, with family-related issues accounting for 38 cases, the largest share. Economic problems followed with 34 cases, and psychiatric issues with 21. Another 80 cases involved a combination of two or more factors.

[JOONGANG ILBO]

Sentencing standards for offending parents were largely determined by whether the child died. About 73 percent of attempted murder cases in which the child survived resulted in suspended sentences. In comparison, about 93 percent of completed murder cases in which the child died resulted in prison terms.

“The fact that attempted cases often receive suspended sentences shows that the judicial process does not sufficiently recognize these acts as serious child abuse,” the researchers said.

In particular, among 62 attempted murder cases, more than half — 38 cases, or 61.3 percent — did not result in any additional protective measures such as probation. This means that more than one in two surviving children were returned to environments where they could be exposed to danger again without any safeguards.

“Society as a whole must clearly recognize and address these cases not as family tragedies but as the most extreme form of child abuse resulting in homicide,” the researchers said, proposing measures including a child death review system and the introduction of home visitation programs for infants and young children.

The government has begun preparing countermeasures following a series of deaths among vulnerable households across the country, including in Ulsan, where a father recently took his own life after killing his children aged 3, 5, 7 and five months.

Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong speaks at a meeting held in Seoul on March 22, 2026. [MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WELFARE]

The Ministry of Health and Welfare visited Ulju County in Ulsan and Imsil County and Gunsan in North Jeolla on Thursday and Friday regarding related cases, and held an emergency inspection meeting on Sunday, chaired by Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong, to discuss response measures.

The meeting discussed ways to activate “ex officio applications,” which would allow officials to apply for basic livelihood benefits on behalf of potential recipients without their consent in emergencies, and to improve the current application-based welfare system that requires beneficiaries to apply themselves.

"We will prepare specific improvement measures reflecting the results of the meeting," said the Welfare Ministry.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHAE HYE-SEON [[email protected]]