A woman charged with killing a nine-year-old boy after trapping him in a suitcase for seven hours has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. 

The Daejeon High Court on Friday issued the verdict during an appeal trial for the 41-year-old woman, surnamed Seong, overturning a lower court ruling that sentenced her to 22 years.

The court said the accused was aware that, though indeterminately, her actions could lead to the boy’s death. It added that it cannot accept the defendant’s claim that her crime was child abuse resulting in death and not murder. 

Seong was accused of killing her boyfriend’s son on June 1 of last year after putting the child in a suitcase for around three hours before putting him in a smaller suitcase for nearly four hours. 

Seong’s case drew fresh attention following another case involving the death of a 16-month-old girl who was allegedly abused by her adoptive parents, which sparked social outrage.