[Anchor]
To prevent these types of relational crimes, victim protection systems such as restraining orders and smartwatches are in place. However, they often prove useless precisely when they are needed most.
Why do these tragic incidents keep repeating? Reporter Je Hui-won takes an in-depth look.
[Reporter]
Even after designating Kim, the suspect in the murder of his mother-in-law, as a Grade A management target at high risk of domestic violence recurrence, the police reapplied for a restraining order early this month after the initial one expired.
Because they went through a new procedure instead of applying for an extension, an 11-day gap in the restraining order occurred, and the crime took place right during that window.
[Kim Jung-hye / Associate Research Fellow, Korean Women's Development Institute: It is important to issue restraining orders, but there must be a mandatory assessment on how to seamlessly extend protection for the victim when that period ends...]
Once again, the smartwatch failed to do its job.
The assigned police officer is required to check its operation every week, but it was found that the police were unaware that the device had been powered off for nearly a month.
The victim in her 40s who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Jeju yesterday (October 12) was also wearing a smartwatch, but it became useless when the attacker tore it off.
[Song Ran-hee / Executive Representative, Korea Women's Hotlines: They are failing to do the most basic things. Discussing alternatives while excluding direct sanctions against perpetrators is just... It keeps being proven through deaths.]
As of August this year, violations of court-ordered 100-meter restraining orders exceeded 950 cases.
As restraining orders alone have limitations in blocking perpetrators from approaching, experts point out that measures with stronger deterrent effects, such as attaching electronic tracking devices or detention, must be actively utilized.
[Lee Woong-hyuk / Professor of Police Science, Konkuk University: Because (relational crimes) lead to horrific outcomes in a short period of time, immediate separation must be implemented. Although it's all in the law, the police, prosecutors, and judges are simply making complacent, textbook judgments.]
Cases like the UK, where police or judges have the discretion to determine the duration of restraining orders, or the US, where there is no limit on the number of renewals, are being suggested as alternatives.
At least 137 women were murdered by intimate partners last year.
Urgent institutional improvements appear necessary to prevent these atrocities, which occur at a rate of one every three days.
(Photo courtesy of SBS | Video reporting: Kim Se-kyung, Kang Si-woo | Video editing: Jung Yong-hwa | Design: Yang Gi-tae)
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