Man arrested in Jekabpils after attacking partner and climbing onto roof

Police in Jekabpils have arrested a man accused of attacking his partner and behaving cruelly towards their two and seven year old children, LSM reported, citing Vidusdaugava Television. The man also caused a public disturbance on Tuesday evening and threatened to jump from the roof of a five storey building.

The incident followed an alleged break in at the woman’s home and an attack on her. She managed to leave the apartment and call for help.

Neighbours, who declined to give their names because of safety concerns, said the violence was not an isolated incident.

“I heard something on the stairs, a bang. I went to the peephole and saw the woman running. She was running terribly fast and screaming. After a while, the man ran after her,” one neighbour said. “This is not the first time he has beaten her. Earlier, he had also cut her cheek.”

Another neighbour said the violence had continued for about five years. According to the neighbour, police had repeatedly taken the man away, but he soon returned home and the couple would briefly reconcile before further fights and assaults.

The woman suffered injuries in the latest incident but did not require hospital treatment. The man was detained after climbing down from the roof and reaching the courtyard. Police used an electric shock during the arrest.

A restraining order preventing the man from approaching his partner has been in force since February. Police said this was the first known occasion on which he had breached a court order for temporary protection against violence.

The couple are currently going through divorce proceedings. At a court hearing on August 11, restrictions were imposed on the man’s contact with the couple’s two children.