Severity of Violence When Demanding Divorce or Separation 'Serious'... Analysis of One Month of Domestic Violence Cases

Police Conduct Comprehensive Analysis of 3,195 Cases
Violence Intensifies When Perpetrator Has Criminal Record and Is Living Separately

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] It has been revealed that more severe domestic violence occurs when a spouse demands divorce or separation, or when infidelity is suspected.

The National Police Agency announced the results of an analysis of domestic violence investigations on the 26th. This analysis was based on the investigation results of 3,195 domestic violence cases referred by the police in July of last year.

According to the analysis, the degree of harm caused by domestic violence was relatively more severe during periods of separation than when the couple was cohabiting. The proportion of victims suffering injuries beyond simple threats or property damage was 20% (626 out of 2,459 cases) during cohabitation, but increased to 25% (27 out of 80 cases) during separation.

The more prior violent offenses the perpetrator had, the greater the extent of harm inflicted. The proportion of 'severe' domestic violence cases?such as injuries, assault, threats involving weapons, or beatings and strangulation posing life-threatening danger?was about 10% for first-time offenders, but rose to 13% for those with four or more prior offenses.

A noteworthy point is the cause of domestic violence. Domestic violence committed due to demands for divorce or separation, or suspicion of infidelity, accounted for the largest number at 904 cases. Among these, 137 cases resulted in 'severe' level harm. This represents 42% of all severe domestic violence cases during the period. The U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) has analyzed that severe domestic violence occurs when victims try to escape from perpetrators with controlling desires, and the police explained that domestic violence cases in South Korea align with this analysis.

The National Police Agency plans to use these analysis results to firmly respond by prosecuting cases in principle regardless of the degree of violence when the cause of domestic violence is 'demand for divorce or separation, suspicion of infidelity,' and by taking temporary protective measures for victims.

Furthermore, since a significant number of victims do not want the perpetrator punished due to reasons such as child custody or financial difficulties, the police intend to comprehensively review perpetrator risk factors and victim vulnerability factors rather than relying solely on 'surface-level statements' from the parties involved, to determine whether to refer the case as a family protection matter.

A police official stated, "We will actively promote measures such as increasing punishment levels for violations of temporary protective orders in cooperation with women's organizations to strongly block the perpetrators' intent to reoffend."

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