Man Murders Former Partner After Being Reported for Dating Violence

[Anchor]

A man in his 50s was arrested by police yesterday (July 5) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on charges of murdering a woman in her 60s with whom he had been in a relationship. The suspect had already been referred to the prosecution last month on stalking charges following a report of dating violence.

Reporter Lee Se-hyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

In the dark of the early morning, a woman appears to step back as if she has encountered someone.

Soon after, a man holding something in his hand approaches her.

At around 3:00 a.m. yesterday, a man in his 50s, identified as A, sought out his former partner, a woman in her 60s identified as B, and attacked her with a weapon.

[Witness: It sounded like the woman was screaming 'Don't, don't' for about 30 seconds. The man kept saying, 'You have to die.']

A had been waiting at this location, 400 meters from the victim's workplace, before attacking her.

B was transported to a hospital by 119 emergency services but passed away. A attempted to harm himself immediately after the crime and underwent emergency surgery, but it is reported that he is currently unconscious.

Police investigation revealed that A had been referred to the prosecution without detention last month on June 8 for violating the Stalking Punishment Act after committing dating violence against B.

To protect the victim, police had issued a restraining order prohibiting A from approaching within 100 meters and from contacting her, and provided B with a smart watch. However, these measures were insufficient to prevent the crime.

Police believe that A began stalking B due to suspicions of infidelity and committed the crime out of resentment over being reported.

Furthermore, authorities are focusing on the possibility of a premeditated crime, noting that A was wearing work gloves during the attack and had tracked the victim's commute route.

Last year, 137 women were murdered by intimate partners, based on media reports alone.

While tragedies involving dating violence occur roughly once every three days, there is currently no effective way to prevent them.

[Seo Hye-jin / Lawyer, Korean Women Lawyers Association: (Current laws) only provide reactive forms of protection. It is urgent to establish legal grounds for preventive measures to protect victims in advance.]

The police plan to investigate the exact motives and circumstances of the crime once A regains consciousness.

(Video reporting: Lim Dong-guk | Video editing: Park Ji-in | Graphics: Han Heung-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.