4 out of 10 Motiveless Crimes are Murder or Attempted Murder

[Financial News] 'Motiveless Crimes (random crimes)' were confirmed to have occurred 9 times in total in the first quarter of this year. It was analyzed that 4 out of 10 motiveless crimes were murder or attempted murder. Experts pointed out that the effect of strengthening patrols is limited and that a joint response at the community level is necessary.
On the 13th, Financial News obtained the 'Motiveless Crime Status' by requesting information disclosure from the National Police Agency, which showed that a total of 97 motiveless crimes occurred from 2023 to the first quarter of this year.
Since 2023, the police have been building related data by judging cases that correspond to three key elements: △victim irrelevance △motive abnormality △act atypicality as motiveless crimes.
It was analyzed that 4 out of 10 motiveless crimes were murder or attempted murder. Of the total 97 cases, murder and attempted murder accounted for 36 cases, or 37% of the total. Injury and assault were found to be 39 cases (40.2%) and 22 cases (22.68%), respectively. The suspects were relatively evenly distributed across age groups: 30s and 50s (21 people), 40s (20 people), 20s (19 people), 60s and older (9 people), and teens (7 people). The crime location was in public places like streets in 77 cases (79.4%), exceeding half. There were 54 cases (55.7%) with prior criminal records.
Motiveless crimes targeting unspecified individuals continue to occur every year. In 2023, a knife rampage incident occurred near Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and Seohyeon Station in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Last year, a teenage girl was stabbed to death on a street in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do. On April 22, a knife rampage at a mart in Mia-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, resulted in 1 death and 1 serious injury. 
Experts unanimously said that it is difficult to prevent motiveless crimes by merely strengthening patrols. Professor Bae Sang-hoon of the Department of Police Administration at Woosuk University evaluated, "Motiveless crimes did not occur because patrols were not conducted, and in a situation where the current number of local police officers is insufficient, the effect of strengthening patrols is inevitably limited," adding, "It is necessary to analyze in detail the causes of motiveless crimes and to properly analyze the process in which the crime was committed." Professor Lee Geon-soo of the Department of Police Administration at Baekseok University said, "In reality, it is difficult for patrols to be an effective measure to reduce motiveless crimes," and "It is questionable whether there will be any effect compared to the time, effort, and budget if patrols are conducted randomly."
Ultimately, advice emerged that it is important for the community to establish a joint cooperation system. Professor Kwak Dae-kyung of the Department of Police Administration at Dongguk University analyzed, "It is important for people around to take an interest," and "The police, social welfare agencies, etc., should establish a multi-agency cooperation system to prepare a joint response plan." 


jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon, Choi Hye-rim Reporter