Trusting "We Reconciled" and "Accidental Press"... Another Tragedy That Could Not Be Stopped

[Anchor]

Regarding the incident where a woman in her 40s who had complained of stalking was murdered by her former romantic partner in Daejeon three days ago, the police's initial response has come under fire. The police protection measures were mechanically lifted based on the victim's statement that they "reconciled." When a similar incident occurred last year, the police chief pledged a more proactive response, but once again, the tragedy could not be prevented.

First, we have a report from reporter Pyeon Gwanghyeon.

[Reporter]

In July of last year, a murder occurred in Daejeon where a man in his 20s killed a woman he had been dating on the street after they broke up.

At the time, then-Acting Police Commissioner General Yoo Jae-sung promised to actively respond to relational crimes by conducting a comprehensive review of individuals subject to restraining orders and isolating perpetrators if the risk was high, even if the victim did not want punishment.

Three months later, on the 24th, a woman in her 40s who was murdered reported her former partner, A, to the police.

The reason was that he persistently harassed her by contacting her more than a dozen times a day.

At that time, the police issued an order prohibiting A from approaching or contacting her, but three weeks later, the victim returned her smart watch, stating they had reconciled, and A's protective measures were lifted.

Two months later, a 112 emergency call was received reporting that the two were arguing, but the case was closed after a statement was given that the button was "pressed by mistake."

Then, ten months later on the 24th, the victim was found dead at her home.

The police stated that A's stalking behavior lacked persistence and the victim did not actively cooperate with the investigation, making it impossible to continue managing A.

[Bae In-ho / Head of Criminal Investigation Division, Daejeon Jungbu Police Station: After being arrested, the suspect made statements admitting to the charges, saying, "I am wrong, I want to die." We are currently investigating the suspect's motive.]

However, in violence occurring within relationships such as lovers, victims frequently ask not to pursue punishment out of fear of retaliation by the perpetrator. This has drawn criticism that the police may have too easily closed the case by relying solely on statements.

The police plan to apply for an arrest warrant for A on murder charges.

(Video Reporter: Kim Nam-sung | Video Editor: Lee Sang-min | Designer: Seohyun Jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.