Victim Labeled 'Grade A' Risk, Yet Perpetrator Remained Free: Tragedy Follows Decision Not to Detain Despite 'Remorse'

It has been revealed that police did not deem it necessary to detain a man in his 50s who murdered his former partner, a woman in her 60s, citing reasons such as the perpetrator claiming he was "remorseful."

The suspect, a man in his 50s identified as A, is accused of murdering his ex-partner, a woman in her 60s identified as B, with a weapon on a street in Jungwon-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, around 3:00 a.m. on July 5.

Previously, on June 8, B reported A to the police, stating that he was harassing her. When the text messages and contact continued, she filed a formal complaint for stalking two days later.

While the police upgraded B from a Grade B to a Grade A victim at risk of recurring stalking, they did not consider applying for an arrest warrant for the perpetrator, A.

It was confirmed that A voluntarily appeared at the police station as a suspect on June 23, admitted to his actions, and stated, "I will not contact or approach B." The police stated that they could not pursue detention under the circumstances, taking into account A's attitude at the time.

Furthermore, it was confirmed that A was not classified as a "high risk" under the police's risk assessment system for relationship-based crimes, and was therefore excluded from consideration for detention.

The police have a three-stage guideline for assessing the risk level in stalking cases.

For a "high-risk" classification, the suspect must meet at least three out of nine criteria, which include having five or more previous reports. If deemed high-risk, the police actively consider applying for an arrest warrant within seven days.

It is reported that the fact that A had no prior criminal record related to stalking—only a record for "violence" from 2009—also served as a basis for the police's decision not to apply for an arrest warrant.

The police explained, "Other than the fact that they had broken up, A did not meet any of the criteria for high risk."

A attempted self-harm immediately after the crime and was transported to a hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment while remaining unconscious.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.