A man in his 20s under police investigation for domestic violence while contesting the validity of his marriage has killed his mother-in-law and abducted his wife.
A smartwatch issued by police to protect the victim failed to function. Investigators believe the device's battery had died before the attack.
The Songpa Police Station said Sunday it had arrested a man identified only as A, in his 20s, on charges of killing a relative and kidnapping after he went to his wife's family home in Songpa-gu, stabbed and killed her mother, who was in her 50s, and forced his wife into a vehicle before fleeing. The attack took place at the wife's family home, an address A already knew.
A had been booked by police in August on charges of repeatedly assaulting his wife while the marriage annulment proceedings were ongoing.
The Seoul Yongsan Police Station, which received the initial report, issued temporary protective measures against A — including an eviction order from the wife's home and a no-contact order — before transferring the case to the Suwon Gwonseon Police Station, which has jurisdiction over his place of residence.
Even as the police investigation continued, gaps in victim protection measures remained unresolved.
When the first set of temporary measures expired on Sept. 30, the Suwon Gwonseon station applied to a court on Tuesday for the same measures to be renewed — but A carried out the attack before a ruling was issued.
Under current law, no-contact orders within 100 meters and restrictions on electronic communications can last no longer than one month, with a single extension permitted for a maximum of two months total.
Because the measures lack continuity, the structure allows a gap of several days in victim protection while a renewal decision is pending.
The effectiveness of police-issued personal safety smartwatches has repeatedly come under scrutiny each time a similar intimate-partner crime occurs.
The wife, identified as B, had also been given a smartwatch by police, but it proved useless.
Police believe the smartwatch issued to B had run out of battery and was not functioning on the day of the attack.
The smartwatches provided by police last up to three days on a single full charge.
The problem, investigators note, is that victims facing an unpredictable threat to their safety cannot easily be expected to monitor battery levels constantly and keep the device charged.
mss@heraldcorp.com
