Tougher Sex Crime Measures Announced

The government and the ruling Uri Party have decided to establish a sex offender gene bank for use in criminal investigations, according to an agreement reached yesterday.

The decision came at a National Assembly conference attended by the party’s floor leader, Kim Han-kil, Gender Equality and Family Minister Jang Ha-jin, and National Police Agency Commissioner General Lee Taek-soon.

Choi Jae-chun, the first chairman of the policy coordination committee, said in a briefing, “We decided to enact a system that discloses the identities of convicted sex offenders, and will seek ways to reveal as much personal information about them as possible, including photographs and addresses, and we will try to limit their employment.”

Another system will be put into place that makes probation mandatory for all, sex offenders, and that limits their mobility using a voice-based monitoring system.

The ruling party and the government will decide whether to introduce an electronic bracelet system supported by the opposition Grand National Party after implementing its personal information disclosure system first.

Lawmakers also designated February 22, the date of the funeral of a child who was sexually harassed and murdered in Yongsan, as “Child Sex Crimes Awareness Day.”

Prosecutors announced that they will investigate child sex crimes suspects in detention and make sure that the statute of limitations is adhered to so that sex offenders can be sentenced to severe punishment.

Prosecutors also said they will aggressively implement a system for child sex offenders with psychological problems where the suspects can be investigated at treatment facilities or hospitals to assess their mental condition, so that the prosecution can examine their habits and behaviors to collect data for trial.

When preparing for sex crimes cases in which the accused have been released, the prosecution said it will demand judges sentence them to probation at least. If the court sentences the accused to probation as requested by the prosecution, they will be under surveillance by the probation office for a specific period of time.

Ji-Seong Jeon jin0619@donga.com verso@donga.com