Over 5,700 Victims Under 12 of Rape and Sexual Assault
Video Testimony Clause for Minor Sexual Violence Victims Ruled Unconstitutional, Causing Secondary Harm During Testimony
Kim Hoe-jae Calls for Supplementary Legislation to Minimize Secondary Harm to Minor Sexual Violence Victims
[Yeosu=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Cheol-hoon] It has been revealed that over the past five years, there have been approximately 6,000 victims of sexual violence under the age of 12. The majority of these minor victims suffered crimes of rape and forced molestation.
According to data on the "Status of Minor Sexual Violence Victims in the Past Five Years" submitted by the National Police Agency to Kim Hoe-jae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Jeonnam Yeosu-si Eul), from 2017 to 2021, there were 6,277 victims of sexual violence under the age of 12.
By type of victimization, rape and forced molestation accounted for the largest number with 5,707 cases, followed by obscenity using communication media (387 cases), filming using cameras, etc. (169 cases), and intrusion into public places for sexual purposes (14 cases).
Among all sexual violence cases, the heinous crimes of rape and forced molestation accounted for 90.9%.
By year, the number of sexual violence victims under 12 years old was 1,261 in 2017, increasing to 1,277 in 2018 and 1,374 in 2019. It then decreased to 1,155 in 2020 but rose again to 1,210 in 2021.
Among these, victims of rape and forced molestation numbered 1,184 in 2017, 1,181 in 2018, 1,256 in 2019, 1,023 in 2020, and 1,063 in 2021, consistently exceeding 1,000 annually.
Rep. Kim Hoe-jae emphasized, "Minor sexual violence victims have to appear in court and repeatedly testify about their painful experiences, suffering secondary victimization," and stressed, "Supplementary legislation is needed to minimize the secondary harm to minor sexual violence victims."
In December last year, the Constitutional Court ruled the special provision allowing video testimony of minor sexual violence victims unconstitutional to guarantee the defendant's right to cross-examination. However, due to delays in supplementary legislation by the National Assembly, minor victims are still required to testify in court and endure repeated cross-examinations, which may cause secondary harm.
Rep. Kim plans to propose the "Partial Amendment to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes," which would require courts to conduct examinations of minor sexual violence victims via video or other relay facilities, and restrict questioning that causes sexual humiliation by requiring prior submission of the examination content during witness questioning.
Yeosu=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Cheol-hoon cch@asiae.co.kr
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