(Suwon = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Sol = The limitations of the current victim protection system were once again revealed when a man in his 20s, who was being investigated by the police for domestic violence during a marriage annulment lawsuit with his wife, murdered his mother-in-law and kidnapped his wife.
The police applied for temporary measures to prevent repeat crimes, but it was too late to prevent the crime, and the smartwatch provided did not protect the victim.
Songpa Police Station in Seoul is urgently arresting and investigating a husband in his 20s, Mr. A, on charges of visiting his parents' house in Songpa-gu on the 11th, stabbing his mother-in-law in her 50s to death with a weapon, and forcing his wife to flee in a car (parricide and kidnapping). The location of the crime was the home of his wife, whom Mr. A had always known.
Mr. A, who was filing a lawsuit for annulment of marriage, had already been booked by the police last August on charges of habitually assaulting his wife.
Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, which received the first report, took temporary measures against Mr. A, such as eviction from Mr. B's home and prohibiting him from approaching, and later transferred the case to Suwon Gwonseon Police Station, which has jurisdiction over his residence.
However, even while the police investigation continued, blind spots in victim protection measures were not resolved.
After the first temporary measure ended on the 30th of last month, Suwon Gwonseon Precinct applied to the court again for the same measure on the 6th of this month, but Mr. A committed the crime before the decision was made.
Under the current law, the period of prohibition of access within 100 meters and prohibition of access using telecommunications is within 1 month, and can be extended once for a maximum of 2 months.
Because there is no continuity in the measures, there may be a gap in victim protection for several days before a decision is made on whether to extend the measure.
To fill this gap, the police may invoke 'emergency temporary measures' ex officio, but in reality, the requirements for application are difficult. Emergency temporary measures are usually implemented in urgent situations where a new violent incident occurs, such as when a 112 call is made, and dispatched to the scene.
In this case, during the waiting period waiting for a second measure (extension) decision after the end of the first temporary measure, it is structurally difficult for the police to take emergency temporary measures ex officio unless there is a new report from the victim or circumstances of additional damage.
However, the court's decision could have been accelerated if the court had preemptively reapplied before the first temporary measure deadline expired, but this also did not happen.
Regarding this, an official from the Gyeonggi Southern District Office explained that they were conducting a strict investigation, saying, "After investigating the victim, we judged that the suspect's suspicions were serious, and the incident occurred while we were taking procedures for arrest, such as search and seizure."
Of course, the temporary measure is not a measure to physically block the suspect's access, so it is difficult to say whether Mr. A's crime could have been prevented even if it had been extended.
However, with this incident as an opportunity, some point out that institutional supplementary measures are needed to minimize gaps in protective measures.
Controversy over the effectiveness of smartwatches for personal protection is also repeated every time a similar crime occurs.
Mr. B also previously received a smartwatch from the police, but it was useless.
The police estimate that the smartwatch that Mr. B received on the day the crime was committed was discharged and did not work.
The smartwatch provided by the police can be used for up to three days once fully charged.
The problem is that it is not easy for victims who do not know when they will be exposed to personal threats to regularly check the status of the battery, charge it, and prepare.
Experts suggest that, considering the characteristics of relational crimes, customized protective measures should be implemented from the early stage according to the risk level and situation of each victim.
Lee Yoon-ho, a professor of police administration at Dongguk University, said, "Relational crimes tend to be minor at first and then suddenly turn into serious crimes, so early response is more important than anything else. Measures that rely solely on the victim, such as smart watches, have their limits."
He added, “The police must proactively present alternatives tailored to each victim,” adding, “There is a need to consider protective measures such as ensuring that emergency temporary measures and temporary measures are implemented without gaps, as well as actively sharing information on the perpetrator’s location with victims.”
