Police reportedly decided not to convene a committee to review the release of personal information for a public official in his 30s accused of tracking down his wife, who had fled from domestic violence, and killing her in front of their young child.

A current civil servant identified as A, who repeatedly reported domestic violence and went to kill his wife after tracking her to a shelter, exits the detention cell at Bundang Police Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to attend a pretrial detention hearing on the 3rd. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News on the 4th, the Criminal Affairs Division of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency decided not to hold a committee to review the release of personal information for A, who was arrested on charges of murder and violating the Child Welfare Act (child abuse).

Police reportedly made the decision after considering the wishes of the victim wife's bereaved family and out of concern for potential secondary harm to the young child who remains.

The Act on the Disclosure of Personal Information of Suspects in Certain Serious Crimes (Serious Crime Identity Disclosure Act) allows a review of whether to disclose personal information in cases where the method of the crime is cruel and significant harm has occurred, where there is sufficient evidence to believe the suspect committed the crime, and where it is necessary for the public interest, such as ensuring the public's right to know and preventing recidivism and crime.

Although this case is a family crime, parts of it meet the requirements under the Serious Crime Identity Disclosure Act, so there had been discussion that a review committee on disclosure might be convened. However, police reportedly decided after internal review not to hold the committee at all.

A, a current public official, is accused of stabbing to death his wife—who had left home and was in hiding after suffering domestic violence—with a weapon on the stairs of a multi-family housing building in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, at about 7:17 a.m. on the 1st.

It was found that the couple's young child was also at the scene at the time. Police determined that A committed the crime while the child watched, causing emotional abuse, and also applied a charge of violating the Child Welfare Act.

A was found to have harbored resentment, thinking the divorce lawsuit with his wife would result unfavorably for him, then checked the temporary residence address listed in the divorce complaint, went there, and committed the crime.

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