Suspect Arrest Warrant Requested
National Forensic Service: "Death Possible Due to Head Injury Complications"
Earlier Verbal Opinion Stated "Not a Death by Assault"
According to the detailed autopsy results of the victim Lee Hyo-jung, who died after being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend last month in Geoje, Gyeongnam, a significant causal relationship between the assault and death was found, and the police have applied for an arrest warrant for the ex-boyfriend, Mr. A.
On the 15th, the Gyeongnam Police Agency announced that they had applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. A, a man in his 20s, on charges of causing death by assault after repeatedly hitting his ex-girlfriend with his fists. Mr. A is accused of unlawfully entering a one-room apartment in Geoje City, Gyeongnam, around 8 a.m. on the 1st of last month and assaulting his ex-girlfriend Lee, causing her death. At the time, Mr. A, intoxicated, entered the apartment by entering the known password of Lee’s one-room apartment, and Lee, who was sleeping, was assaulted while defenseless. Lee and Mr. A were high school classmates who had an on-and-off relationship since 2022 but had already broken up at the time of the incident.
On the 18th of last month, the Gyeongnam Women's Association, Gyeongnam Women's Welfare Counseling Center and Facility Council held a press conference in front of the Gyeongnam Police Agency entrance, urging the arrest and strict punishment of the perpetrator. [Photo by Lee Seryeong]
Lee was diagnosed with traumatic subdural hemorrhage and other injuries requiring six weeks of treatment and was hospitalized, but she died on the 10th of last month due to multiple organ failure caused by sepsis. The police urgently arrested Mr. A on the 11th of last month on charges of causing death by assault, but the prosecution did not approve the urgent arrest, citing no concerns about evidence tampering or flight risk. Earlier, the National Forensic Service (hereafter 'NFS') had verbally opined that Lee’s cause of death was not due to Mr. A’s assault.
Subsequently, the police requested the NFS to conduct detailed examinations, including tissue analysis, and the NFS recently conveyed to the police that "it is highly likely that Lee died from complications caused by head injuries." A police official stated, "We will do our best to prove Mr. A’s charges based on this autopsy result."
The victim Lee’s parents revealed her name and face to express the injustice suffered by their deceased daughter and to prevent other victims from emerging. Meanwhile, last month, Mr. A’s personal information and photos were disclosed on various online communities. Born in 2004, Mr. A followed the victim Lee to the same university and harassed her even at university, which eventually led Lee to take a leave of absence after completing the first semester of her freshman year.
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