The trial begins for the suspect of “suitcase of suitcase” hakyung lee

A woman accused of having murdered her two children and hiding their remains in suitcases is tried in New Zealand, in a very publicized case that shocked the country.

Hakyung Lee, who was extradited from South Korea in New Zealand in November 2022, pleaded not guilty of two accusations of murder.

The remains of his children were discovered in suitcases by a family that bought the content of an abandoned storage unit during an auction in Auckland.

The bodies were reportedly stored there for several years.

The trial opened its doors on Monday and is expected to last up to four weeks. The accusation will open arguments on Tuesday, according to local media.

Given the attention of the public that the case received, the judge told the jury that the guilt or the innocence of Ms. Lee should be determined according to the facts.

Judge Geoffrey Venning added that it is also likely that the case will be determined “if, when the children were killed, Ms. Lee was crazy”.

Ms. Lee, 44, will stand for court with two lawyers appointed by the acting court as a standby council. She remained silent when asked to plead on Monday.

New Zealand national born in South Korea, Ms. Lee lived in Auckland for several years before returning to South Korea in 2018.

The previous year – 2017 – The father of children died of cancer. And the two children, six and eight years old, died some time later, although he was not known exactly when.

Their bodies then discovered in August 2022 after a family bought a charge of trailer of goods, including the suitcases, in an online auction.

The local media indicated that the sale was part of an effort to erase the abandoned items from a storage unit.

Police said buyers had no connection with death.

Ms. Lee was arrested in Ulsan, South Korea in September 2022 after Interpol published a global red opinion for her.