Man breaks into flat via balcony, assaults ex-wife in front of children in Jēkabpils

On the evening of August 11, Latvian State Police received a report of a physical assault on a woman in her apartment in Jēkabpils. She was at home with her two young children, aged two and seven, when her former partner — with whom she is currently going through divorce proceedings — entered the flat through the balcony door and physically assaulted her, causing bodily injuries. Aware that the children were present, the man also treated them cruelly and violently, causing them emotional distress.

The woman managed to break free and reach the front door, where she asked a neighbor to call the police. The neighbor reported the incident, and a police unit arrived quickly. Upon arrival, the suspect was found standing on a windowsill before climbing onto the building's roof, where he stood near the edge, shouted various phrases, and threatened to harm himself. He later climbed down into the courtyard, where police detained him, using an electroshock device due to his aggressive and unpredictable behavior.

The woman sustained injuries and was examined by paramedics at the scene, though hospitalization was not required. The detained man, born in 1991, had previous contact with police — in 2022 he was convicted of causing serious bodily harm. Since February 14 of this year, he had been under criminal investigation for cruel emotional treatment of a minor and for threats of serious bodily harm, and that same month he spent a month in medical treatment. Since February 17, a court-ordered temporary protection order had been in effect, including a restriction on approaching the victim; police say they have no record of him violating it. Earlier this year, the woman had asked police to withdraw her complaint and drop the criminal case, but the request was denied.

On August 11, a court hearing also took place, restricting the man's contact rights with the couple's children — possibly one of the triggers for the assault. He now faces criminal proceedings under several articles of the Criminal Law, covering failure to comply with a protection order, threats to kill, cruelty toward a minor, and unlawful entry into a dwelling using violence. He remains in short-term police custody, with a court hearing on pretrial detention expected the following day.