In Jēkabpils, man breaks into ex-wife's apartment via balcony and attacks her in front of children

Latvia's State Police (VP) received a report on the evening of August 11 about violence in an apartment in Jēkabpils. The woman, who is going through divorce proceedings, was home with her two children, aged two and seven, when her former partner climbed onto the building's roof and entered the apartment through the balcony door.

The man physically assaulted the woman, causing her bodily injuries, and also treated the children present in a cruel and abusive manner, causing them emotional distress. The victim managed to escape the apartment and, with a neighbor's help, alerted police.

Detained on the roof

When officers arrived, the suspect was found standing on a window ledge, from where he moved onto the roof. There, standing close to the edge, he shouted various phrases and threatened to harm himself. He later climbed down into the courtyard, where police detained him. Because he was aggressive and unpredictable, officers used an electric shock device and handcuffs during the arrest.

The woman was examined by medics at the scene but did not require hospitalization.

Prior history

Police say the man, born in 1991, had previous contact with law enforcement — in 2022 he was convicted of causing serious bodily harm and had already served his sentence. Since February 14 this year, he had been under investigation for cruel emotional treatment of a minor and for threats of serious bodily harm; that same day he was taken to a medical facility, where he spent a month in treatment. A court decision on temporary protection against violence, including restrictions on approaching the victim, took effect on February 17; police say they have no information that it was violated before this incident.

Earlier this year, the woman had asked police to withdraw her complaint and end the criminal proceedings, but the request was denied. Additionally, a court hearing on August 11 restricted the man's contact rights with the couple's children — possibly one of the triggers for the incident.

A criminal case has now been opened covering threats of murder and serious bodily harm, failure to comply with a protection order, cruelty and violence against a minor, and unlawful forced entry into a home. The man is being held in short-term detention and will appear in court the following day, where prosecutors will seek his arrest.