20-year-old disabled man who allegedly killed a toddler found not guilty

A court case that made its way to the Supreme Court ended with heartbreak. 

On November 24, the Supreme Court released their verdict for the case of Lee, a 20-year-old man with a developmental disability who picked up a 2-year-old toddler and threw him down an emergency staircase (9.2 meters [~30 ft] above ground), killing the child. The court ruled Lee not guilty and agreed with the previous verdict that ordered him to received treatment at a confined institution.  

Back on December 3, 2014, Lee ran into the 2-year-old at a community center in Busan and killed the child. When the mother of the toddler witnessed Lee taking the child, she tried to stop Lee, begging, "Don't do that," but she was unable to stop him, who made eye contact with her and smiled before throwing the toddler down the height of 9.2 meters. 

SEE ALSO: Police rescue elderly man with dementia walking against highway traffic on Chuseok

The key to the case was whether Lee was of sound mind who could tell right from wrong. The first court trial ruled Lee not guilty because "even though the action of homicide is acknowledged, Lee, who has a severe mental and developmental disability committed the act without having the ability to make a sound decision." 

The second trial court also agreed, but added, "There is a risk of Lee repeating the act and society at large needs to be protected," and ruled that Lee should be treated at an institution. 

The most recent ruling by the Supreme Court agreed and upheld the second trial court's decision.