Stalkers should be punished regardless of victims' consent: experts
來源: 開云體育app官方網站 時間: 2023-01-23 09:49:56
The labor union of Seoul Metro pays a silent tribute to the murder victim at a press conference held in front of Seoul City Hall, Sept. 20. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-suk
Rule of no punishment without victims' consent responsible for many deaths, activists say
By Lee Yeon-woo
The Sindang Station murder case has been an awakening moment in Korea. It revealed that stalking victims are left without proper protection. The suspect, a 31-year-old man, allegedly killed a 28-year-old female subway station worker while he was on trial without detention after the victim pressed charges on him for stalking.
The brutal murder case raised a red flag. The current law, which prohibits the prosecution of offenders if the victims do not consent, has drawn the ire of the public. Calls are growing to remove this regulation to better protect the victims.
Experts say the lack of punishment without victims' approval is highly problematic in two ways. First, it allows stalkers to harass and chase victims once again by encouraging the settlement of cases. In addition, the police are often reluctant to intervene in cases and encourage offenders and victims to reach a settlement and end the case faster.
"It is possible that stalkers abuse the regulation and think it is the victims who decide their punishment. That belief makes stalkers approach the victims again and again. They might even grow angry when victims don't agree to a settlement," said Kim Jeong-hye, a researcher at the Korean Women's Development Institute.
Graphic by Cho Sang-won
An anti-stalking law first took effect in Korea last October after 22 years of efforts by activists to enact it. It is the first law that enables punishment for stalkers with up to three years in prison. Thanks to this law, stalking reports made to the police and number of arrested stalkers have increased drastically. In only the first half of 2022, the number showed a fivefold increase.
