A mother from New Zealand has been sentenced to a minimum of 17 years in prison for the murder of her two children, aged six and eight. Hakyung Lee was found guilty of killing her children in 2018 and concealing their bodies in suitcases until they were discovered in 2022. The tragic incident came to light when Lee failed to pay rental fees for a storage unit in Auckland, leading to the auctioning of its contents.
During the court hearing at the High Court in Auckland, Justice Geoffrey Venning stated that Lee would begin her sentence in a secure psychiatric facility as per New Zealand’s mental health treatment law. Despite claims of mental illness and requests for a reduced sentence, the judge emphasized that Lee’s actions were intentional and premeditated.
Lee’s defense attorney mentioned that her mental health deteriorated following her husband’s death, leading to the tragic events. After committing the murders, Lee fled to South Korea and changed her identity, having been born in South Korea before becoming a New Zealand citizen.
The family members of the deceased children expressed their profound sorrow and anguish in court statements. The uncle of the children expressed deep regret for not being able to protect them, while Lee’s mother described the immense pain and suffering caused by the heartbreaking loss.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Va’aelua offered condolences to the family and highlighted that the children, if alive, would be teenagers today. The sentencing for murder in New Zealand mandates a life sentence, with a minimum of 10 years before parole eligibility. The New Zealand police recognized the cooperation of South Korean authorities in the investigation following the court proceedings.