In Hawaii, a senseless crime saw a doctor push his wife off an over 1,000-foot-tall cliff and try to smash her head with a rock. 

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The shocking motive

Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised.

Shocking reports have revealed that this was a case of domestic violence. The man, identified as Gerhardt Konig subjected his wife to unnecessary brutality, threw her off Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, perched over 1,000 foot above the Oahu coastline, because she refused to click pictures with him at the tourist spot. Police, as per Mirror, also revealed that Konig, a licensed anaesthesiologist, tried to prick his wife with needles.

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A manhunt to find 46-year-old Gerhardt Konig lasted six hours and ended with him being arrested after being chased on foot down the Pali Highway in Hawaii.

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What happened to Konig's wife?

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The man's wife, aged 36 years, was found with critical injuries to her face and head and remains in the hospital. After being taken to the hospital with critical injuries, she told the police that her husband had attacked her and left her for dead.

KGMB-TV reports that the man on Wednesday (Mar 26) was charged with second-degree attempted murder, and his bail has been set at $5 million.

Who is Gerhardt Konig?

As per reports, Konig was a doctor with the Anesthesia Medical Group in Hawaii. Following his alleged crimes, Konig who was employed under an independent contract, has been suspended pending investigation.

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Before that, he worked as an anaesthesiologist at UPMC and an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

Domestic Violence, a pandemic?

Reacting to the case, Sanoe Kaaihue, executive director of domestic violence charity, Women Helping Women, said: "DV (domestic violence) does not discriminate. I think time and time again, people are so surprised when they hear that it’s their teachers, it's neighbours, it's attorneys. It's everybody from every single walk of life can be affected."

"Both prominent people in our community. Not just him, but also her. Highly intelligent, highly successful folks," she noted.

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According to data from the National Domestic Violence Hotline, "An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States".

"Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner".

(With inputs from agencies)