The man in his 20s who assaulted and killed his ex-girlfriend did not attend the warrant review scheduled for the 20th.
The Tongyeong Branch of the Changwon District Court in South Gyeongsang Province announced that a statement of non-attendance from the lawyer representing the man in his 20s, identified as A, who is facing charges including injury resulting in death, was submitted late in the morning on this day.
According to a court official, the reason for non-attendance was cited as intense public attention and psychological pressure.
Presiding Judge Kim Seyong, who is in charge of the case, canceled the in-person warrant review scheduled for the day and will proceed with a document-based review instead.
If the detention review proceeds as planned, the result is expected to be announced as early as late afternoon or by the following morning.
Previously, A was accused of breaking into the apartment of his ex-girlfriend, identified as B, on the 1st of last month, violently hitting her head and face while she was sleeping, strangling her, and ultimately causing her death.
B suffered a traumatic subdural hemorrhage and other serious injuries requiring six weeks of treatment, and eventually passed away in the hospital on the 10th of last month.
A and B, who were high school classmates, entered the same university and department, and had an on-and-off relationship for about three years since high school. During this period, there were at least 12 confirmed police reports related to dating violence involving both parties, including mutual assault.
The National Forensic Service initially provided an oral opinion that B did not die from the assault, but later, through a detailed examination, concluded that it was highly likely B died due to complications from head injuries.
Based on the final autopsy results from the National Forensic Service, the police applied for a pre-arrest warrant for A, and the prosecution requested the warrant citing concerns over flight risk and destruction of evidence.
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