Attempted Murder Followed by Direct 112 Call
"Caring for Cancer Patient Wife for Over a Decade... Committed Crime Due to Hardship"
A man in his 70s who cared for his wife with cancer for over a decade was arrested for attempting to kill her.
On the 2nd, the Suwon Western Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that they have booked and are investigating a man in his 70s, identified as Mr. A, on suspicion of attempted murder. Mr. A is accused of attempting to kill his wife, Ms. B, in her 60s, by strangling her while she was asleep at their home in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon City, around 12:30 a.m. After the incident, Mr. A himself called 112, and was caught at the scene by police officers who arrived promptly.
Ms. B has been transferred to a hospital and is receiving treatment, but is reported to be in critical condition. At the time of the report, Mr. A stated that "I have been caring for my wife, who is a terminal cancer patient, for over ten years, but I felt I could no longer continue, so I committed the act." Mr. A was intoxicated at the time of the crime. The police plan to verify the truthfulness of Mr. A’s statement through witness interviews and other investigations, and will apply for an arrest warrant once the investigation is complete.
Meanwhile, cases of family members killing their loved ones due to exhaustion from long-term caregiving are emerging as a social issue. In March, in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, a husband, Mr. B, was arrested for killing his wife who suffered from a stroke. It is known that he committed the crime after struggling with about 80 million won in debt due to his wife’s illness. In October last year, in Daegu, a man in his 60s, Mr. C, killed his disabled son after nearly 40 years of caregiving, unable to bear the burden any longer.
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