The identity and mug shots of a 24-year-old man suspected of fatally stabbing a high school girl in Gwangju will be released on May 14, news report said Saturday.
The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency held a deliberation committee Friday and decided to disclose the suspect’s personal information, including his name, age and photograph, on its website through June 12.
The committee determined that the case met the legal requirements for disclosing a suspect’s identity under the Act on Disclosure of Personal Information of Suspects in Certain Serious Crimes, including the brutality of the crime, the severity of the damage, sufficient evidence and the public’s right to know and public interest.
The law stipulates that the head of the relevant police station makes the final decision on whether to disclose a suspect’s identity following the committee’s deliberation, and the information may be released immediately if the suspect consents.
As the suspect, surnamed Jang, did not express consent, authorities delayed the release of his personal information until next week.
Jang is accused of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old high school girl multiple times with a knife at around 12:11 a.m. Tuesday on a road near a university in the city's Gwangsan district, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul.
Another high school student, who approached the scene upon hearing the victim scream, was also injured in a knife attack by the suspect.
Jang fled the scene immediately after the attack but was arrested by police near his residence about 11 hours later. He is currently under investigation in custody.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
