A South Korean-born woman, Hakyung Lee, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in New Zealand for the horrifying murder of her two young children, whose bodies were discovered in suitcases in a storage locker.
The Gruesome Crime
Lee, 45, was found guilty of killing her son, Minu Jo, aged six, and daughter, Yuna Jo, aged eight, by administering an overdose of prescription medication in 2018. This chilling crime, labelled the “suitcase murders” by the media, saw the children hidden away in an abandoned storage locker until their shocking discovery by an unsuspecting family in 2022.
The Trial and Sentencing
After a delay caused by Lee’s flight to South Korea, she was extradited to New Zealand to face justice in 2022. During the trial, Lee pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, citing severe mental health issues linked to the grief of her husband’s death in 2017.
High Court judge Geoffrey Venning, during the sentencing on 26 November 2023, emphasised the vulnerability of the children. He described Lee’s actions as morally wrong, stating, “You knew your actions were morally wrong… perhaps you could not bear to have your children around you as a constant reminder of your previous happy life.” Lee has been ordered to serve a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
Emotional Impact on Family
The impact of this tragedy extended beyond Lee as her family expressed their anguish in court. Lee’s mother, Choon Ja Lee, questioned why her daughter chose to take the innocent lives of her children if she aimed to end her own suffering. Her brother-in-law, Sei Wook Cho, highlighted the ongoing pain of hiding this tragedy from the children’s other grandmother, who is battling cancer.
A Dark Chapter in New Zealand’s History
This case reflects a deeply unsettling chapter for New Zealand, which abolished the death penalty in 1989, making life imprisonment the most severe punishment. The legal proceedings and subsequent reactions have stirred significant public discourse around mental health, familial responsibility, and the protections afforded to vulnerable children.
Looking Forward
As Hakyung Lee begins her life sentence, questions linger about mental health support and preventive care in situations of parental distress, a vital consideration for the welfare of children in New Zealand and beyond.