A woman in her 60s who had asked police for protection and been given an emergency smartwatch was stabbed by her former husband three days later.
Police in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, said on the 19th that they had arrested a man in his 60s, identified as A, on suspicion of attempted murder.
A is accused of going to the home of his ex-wife, identified as B, in Bundang District, Seongnam, at about 8:05 a.m. that day, attacking her with a knife and fleeing. He is believed to have waited outside the front door and pushed his way inside when B opened it on her way to work.
B's family saw A leaving the house at about 8:23 a.m. on closed-circuit television installed at the front door. Unable to reach B afterward, they called the emergency line at about 8:30 a.m. Police and firefighters who responded found B collapsed and bleeding in the living room and took her to a hospital. She was conscious when she was transported but was unable to communicate, according to police.
Working with police in Seoul, officers arrested A in Seoul's Jungnang District at about 10:19 a.m., roughly two hours after he fled the scene.
B had requested police protection three days before the attack. On the 16th, she went to a police station with her daughter and an acquaintance and asked for a smartwatch, saying she felt anxious after being contacted by her former husband, from whom she divorced three years ago. Police determined that A had called her once, suggesting that the family have a meal together at the house.
Police designated B for crime victim safety measures for one month, from the 16th of this month through the 15th of next month. They issued her a smartwatch for emergency calls and arranged patrols linked to the emergency line in the area around her home.
No emergency call was made through the smartwatch during the attack. Police believe B had no chance to press the emergency button because A forced his way inside and attacked her as soon as the door opened.
At the time of the protection consultation, there was no record of emergency calls related to domestic violence or stalking between the two, police said. No specific accounts of criminal harm, such as threats or repeated contact, were confirmed, according to police.
As a result, no formal criminal case was opened and no emergency measures or provisional orders, such as a restraining order, were issued. Police said they carried out safety measures including the smartwatch and patrols at the victim's request.
Police plan to question A on his motive and the circumstances of the attack. They are also reviewing whether officers who handled the protection consultation fell short in assessing the initial risk and in carrying out measures to protect the victim.