A New Zealand mother who ended the lives of her two young children and hid their bodies in suitcases has been sentenced to life in prison. She will serve at least 17 years before she can be considered for parole.
Hakyung Lee, 45, was convicted of taking the lives of her eight-year-old daughter, Yuna, and her six-year-old son, Minu. The tragedy happened in 2018, shortly after her husband passed away from cancer. During her trial, her defence team said she was overwhelmed by grief and believed the family should die together. The court heard that she attempted to end her own life and gave the children a mix of medication in juice, but she survived and woke to discover the children had died.
Prosecutors described her actions as a selfish attempt to escape the pressure of raising her children alone. After the incident, Lee changed her identity, left the country, and was eventually arrested abroad before being returned to New Zealand to face trial.
Family members from both sides expressed deep heartbreak during sentencing. Lee’s mother said she wished she had encouraged her daughter to seek counselling, describing how her daughter lost the will to live after her husband’s death. A brother of the children’s late father said he still struggles to accept the loss and has been unable to tell their elderly grandmother what happened.
A psychiatric report suggested Lee was dealing with an unusual form of depression and prolonged grief at the time. Due to her mental state, the judge ordered that she receive special psychiatric care while in prison.