20s Woman Dies After Being Beaten by Ex-Boyfriend; Cause of Death Confirmed as Assault

National Forensic Service's Detailed Examination Overturns Initial Verbal Opinion

The initial verbal opinion from the National Forensic Service, which stated that the cause of death for a woman who died just days after being hospitalized from an assault by her ex-boyfriend was not due to the assault, has been overturned.

According to the Geoje Police Station in Gyeongnam on the 16th, the National Forensic Service announced, "It is highly likely that the deceased, identified as A, died from complications caused by a head injury."

At the time of the incident, a verbal opinion from the autopsy indicated that the cause of death was not the assault. However, after a detailed examination, it was determined that the victim suffered a subdural hemorrhage from multiple blows to the head and face, and died while receiving treatment for these injuries.

The hospital that treated A, as well as another hospital commissioned by the police for a separate cause of death analysis, reached the same conclusion.

As a result, the police applied for a pretrial detention warrant against A's ex-boyfriend, a man in his 20s identified as B, on charges of injury resulting in death.

A mother of a daughter who died while receiving hospital treatment after being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend is reading a statement urging strict punishment for the perpetrator.
[Photo by Lee Seryung]

Previously, on April 1 at around 8 a.m., B went to A's studio apartment in Gohyeon-dong, Geoje, entered by entering the password, and assaulted A while she was sleeping.

B struck her head and other areas, strangled her, and inflicted severe injuries including traumatic subdural hemorrhage, which required six weeks of recovery. The reason was that A had not kept a promise to meet the previous day.

While receiving treatment at the hospital, A ultimately passed away on the 10th of last month due to multiple organ failure caused by sepsis, following high fever and deteriorating condition.

The two, who were high school classmates, attended the same university and department, and had been in an on-and-off relationship for about three years since high school before breaking up prior to the incident.

From December 2022 until this incident, there were a total of 12 reports to the police related to dating violence between them, including mutual assault.

Of these, 8 occurred in Gyeongnam, while the rest took place in the area where their university is located. Except for one case in July last year where A was punished for special assault, most cases ended at the scene or were simply reported, as neither party wished to pursue punishment.

The police immediately arrested B after the incident, but the prosecution released B after nine hours, citing that B had disclosed his whereabouts and there was no risk of evidence destruction or flight.

It is reported that the prosecution determined there was no legal urgency, as B admitted to the facts during the police investigation on the day of the incident and complied with the emergency arrest.

The police, who have been investigating the case without detention, plan to continue substantiating B's charges based on the detailed autopsy results. The prosecution will also take the unusual step of requiring B's parents to attend the warrant review hearing in person to give them an opportunity to speak.