Police: "Shillim-dong Sexual Assault Victim's Preliminary Cause of Death Suspected as Pressure and Asphyxiation"

On the 17th, the preliminary cause of death of the victim who was sexually assaulted and murdered on a hiking trail in an ecological park in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, was found to be asphyxiation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the police on the 21st, the Gwanak Police Station, which is investigating the case, received a verbal opinion from the National Forensic Service (NFS) based on the autopsy results that the victim showed signs of trauma to the head and other areas, and the main cause of death was presumed to be asphyxiation due to pressure.

Accordingly, it has newly been suggested that the perpetrator, Choi (30, in custody), not only assaulted the victim but also possibly strangled her. The exact cause of death can only be confirmed after receiving the final autopsy report from the NFS.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will hold a personal information disclosure committee on the 23rd to review whether to disclose the face, real name, age, and other details of the suspect Choi (30, in custody). The police form the committee with internal and external members to deliberate on the disclosure of the suspect’s personal information when ▲ the crime is brutal and causes serious harm ▲ there is sufficient evidence to believe the suspect committed the crime ▲ and it is necessary for the public interest, such as ensuring the public’s right to know, preventing recidivism, and crime prevention.

Choi was arrested at the scene on the morning of the 17th on charges of indiscriminately assaulting and sexually assaulting a female victim on a hiking trail in a mountain connected to a park in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Investigations revealed that Choi assaulted the victim while wearing metal knuckle weapons he purchased four months earlier on both hands. The victim died on the afternoon of the 19th, two days after the incident. Choi admitted that he bought the knuckles to commit sexual assault but claimed that the sexual assault was only attempted on the day of the crime and that he had no intention to kill Ms. A. The police are applying charges of rape and murder under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act and are conducting supplementary investigations to determine whether there was intent to kill.

Once the final autopsy opinion from the NFS is received, the police plan to clarify the causal relationship between the assault injuries and the death, as well as the circumstances leading to the death. If asphyxiation due to pressure is confirmed as the final cause of death, it would strongly suggest intentional murder.

The police have also completed forensic analysis of Choi’s mobile phone and computer and are analyzing the data. A search warrant to check portal site search records has been executed, and they are awaiting the results. They are also verifying Choi’s psychiatric treatment history through the National Health Insurance Service and other sources.

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