A woman in her 60s who had been issued a police-linked smartwatch was stabbed by her ex-husband in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
The Bundang Police Station said Monday it had arrested a man in his 60s, identified only as A, on charges of attempted murder.
A is accused of going to the home of his ex-wife, a woman in her 60s identified as B, at around 8:05 a.m. Monday, waiting outside her front door, and forcing his way inside when she opened it on her way to work. He allegedly attacked her with a bladed weapon and fled.
B's family spotted A entering and leaving the home at around 8:23 a.m. through a privately installed CCTV camera at the front door. When they were unable to reach B, they called 112 at around 8:30 a.m.
Officers and firefighters who responded found B collapsed in the living room, bleeding, and transported her to a nearby hospital. She was conscious at the time of transport but unable to communicate, police said.
Seoul police, called in to assist, arrested A in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, at around 10:19 a.m. Monday — roughly two hours after he fled.
Police said they plan to question A to determine the exact motive and circumstances of the attack.
B had visited a police station Friday to request personal protection, saying she felt uneasy after receiving a single phone call from her ex-husband — from whom she had been divorced three years ago — asking to have a family meal at home. She also requested a smartwatch.
Police designated the period from Friday through Nov. 15 as a crime victim safety protection period and issued B a smartwatch. They also put in place 112-linked patrol measures around her residence.
The smartwatch emergency button was not activated during the attack, however. Police believe A forced his way through the front door the moment it opened and launched his assault so quickly that B had no chance to press the button.
At the time of the protection consultation, there was no record of 112 calls related to domestic violence or stalking between the two, police said. B also made no specific statements about threats or persistent contact from A.
As a result, police said, no formal criminal case was opened and no emergency restraining order or injunction was issued against A. Only safety measures — including the smartwatch — were put in place at the victim's request.
Police are questioning A while also reviewing whether the officer who conducted the initial consultation made any errors in assessing the risk level or in implementing protective measures.
betterj@heraldcorp.com
