A 65-year-old man has been sentenced to one year in prison for physically abusing his mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, court officials said Friday.

According to the Daejeon District Court, the man beat his mother in the face, back and arms on two separate occasions in April 2017. The victim was hospitalized for 10 days due to the injuries she sustained, authorities said. 

Police said they received reports of the abuse and indicted him on the charge of battery of a family member, which is considered more severe than assault or battery of a nonfamily member.

According to Article 257 of the Criminal Act, a person who inflicts bodily injury on a family member could face a maximum 10-year prison term or a fine of up to 15 million won ($13,500).

During court proceedings, the man reportedly denied ever hitting his mother, claiming she got “bruised after falling off the toilet seat.”

In May, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Elder Protection Agency released an annual report shedding light on the rising number of elder abuse cases in South Korea.

The report showed that in nearly two-fifths of the 12,009 reported cases, the perpetrators were sons of the victims.

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)