Controversy is escalating over lowering the minimum age for criminal punishment after the suspect of the recent “Cat Mom” case was found to be a nine-year-old boy.
Under the current law, offenders under 10 cannot be prosecuted. Those between 10 and 13 can only be subject to punitive measures that include community service and long-term or short-term probationary periods. According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, tens of thousands of juveniles annually face criminal punishments.
Earlier this month, a 55-year-old woman and 29-year-old woman, who were labeled “cat moms” for their support of stray cats, were killed and injured, respectively, after being struck by bricks from the rooftop of an apartment south of Seoul. Police found the bricks had been hurled while young boys were experimenting with them to see how gravity works.
