The Korean woman who said she took her child to Korea to protect her from an abusive boyfriend has been sentenced by a judge in Yolo County, California for child abduction.
A judge today sentenced her to 175 days in jail and three years probation on a misdemeanor charge.
The 175 day sentence with credit for time served was fulfilled while she sat in prison separated from her child awaiting both her trial and then her sentencing.
She is being released to the custody of the Immigration and Custom Enforcement in Sacramento. The judge earlier refused a defense motion to overturn the guilty verdict.
This mean her battle to regain custody of her child will be difficult.
This is my favorite photo of her. Her wearing the pair of jeans we bought her. I've never seen her smile like that. https://t.co/ZgRECmDR1o
— Juhee Kwon (@juhee_kwon) April 29, 2015
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Jo has won wide support from those who work on behalf of domestic violence victims. Prior to today’s hearing, a coalition of domestic violence victim support groups released the following statement:
“As national organizations dedicated to ending domestic violence, we support Nan-Hui Jo in her fight for freedom and reunification with her daughter. Nan-Hui Jo is a survivor of domestic violence, a mother, and an undocumented immigrant.
“This case highlights how the criminal-legal system can worsen the impact of domestic violence on survivors and their children. It shines a light on how the very systems that are supposed to help create safety and justice can instead further minimize abuse, criminalize survivors, and become another mechanism that batterers use to control and punish survivors in the long-term.
“Survivors of domestic violence should not be punished for defending themselves, protecting their children, and rebuilding their lives away from the violence of an abuser. Our legal systems should not entrap survivors in multiple legal systems that relentlessly criminalize and re-victimize them.”
You can read the entire statement here.
“We will still continue to fight for Nan-Hui” – @_sangsuwon #StandWithNanHui
— Stand with Nan-Hui (@StandWithNanHui) April 28, 2015
Calling for justice for survivors standing up against the PIC and deportation and detention machine #StandWithNanHui pic.twitter.com/phmMGr4n9A
— AsianLawCaucus (@aaaj_alc) April 28, 2015
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