"Armed with a weapon despite a restraining order"... One in three relationship-based crime cases under investigation deemed 'high-risk'

Police Review 44,540 Relationship-Based Crime Cases
376 Arrest Warrants Sought; Closed Reports Also Reexamined

Police classified one in three cases of relationship-based crimes, including stalking and domestic violence, under investigation as high-risk. They are pursuing measures to isolate high-risk perpetrators, such as detention and protective custody, while also reviewing closed reports to protect victims.

An image depicting situations involving victims of relationship-based crimes, such as stalking and domestic violence. Yonhap News

The National Police Agency said on November 4 that it had completed a comprehensive review of 44,540 cases related to relationship-based crimes over 12 days, from October 19 to 30. The review covered cases currently under investigation, people classified as Grade A for monitoring, stalking reports closed at the scene, cases involving ongoing safety measures, and additional reports received during the review period.

Of the 15,840 cases under investigation, police classified 5,068 (32.0%) as high-risk. During the review period, they applied for 376 arrest warrants, 506 protective custody orders, and 321 orders to attach electronic monitoring devices to high-risk perpetrators. Of these, 80 arrest warrants were issued, while 116 protective custody orders and 104 electronic monitoring device attachment orders were approved. Protective custody is a measure that keeps perpetrators in a detention facility or similar location to separate them from victims.

Police also strengthened victim protection measures. During the review period, private security details averaged 3.6 per day, up 2.4 from the average of 1.2 between January and September this year, while referrals to temporary accommodations rose by 4.4, from 4.2 to 8.6. During the review period, the average number of arrest warrant applications per day was 31.3, up 334% from 7.2 between January and September this year. The average number of warrants issued per day also increased, from 3.6 to 6.7.

Police also identified additional offenses during the review period and isolated perpetrators in several cases. In Seoul, officers lying in wait arrested a man caught in the act after he violated a restraining order and went to his ex-girlfriend's workplace. This was after prosecutors had rejected the police applications for protective custody and an electronic monitoring device attachment order. Based on the additional offense, police secured approval for an electronic monitoring device attachment order and provided the victim with private security and temporary accommodation.

Police also revisited 6,504 stalking reports that had been closed at the scene. For reports in which the response had been inadequate, they launched 83 preliminary investigations and added four protection measures and four safety measures. They also strengthened their response to 176 people identified as posing a risk among the 21,614 Grade A monitoring subjects, including through 102 preliminary investigations, 25 protection measures, and 54 safety measures. Police also reviewed 582 people already receiving safety measures and added protection as needed.

Kim Jongcheol, acting chief of the National Police Agency, said, "We will continue to make victim protection our top priority in cases of relationship-based crimes and take strong measures to isolate perpetrators, doing everything we can to ensure that victims can live their everyday lives in peace and without fear."

※If you need expert help with sexual violence, digital sex crimes, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or other such issues, you can call the Women's Emergency Hotline at 1366 (dial 1366 without an area code) to receive counseling and emergency protection 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The hotline can also connect you with free legal assistance, including legal advice before filing a police report and support with investigations and lawsuits.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.