Lee Sujeong "Confession by Day, Murder by Night... Protecting Stalkers' Rights While Failing to Protect Victims"

"Protecting Perpetrators' Human Rights While Completely Neglecting Victims' Safety"

Jeon Mo (31), who killed a female colleague in her 20s at the women's restroom of Sindang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, is entering the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 16th to undergo a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] Professor Lee Sujeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University commented on the stalking murder case that occurred at Sindang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, stating, "This case suggests how human rights-protective our country's judicial system is toward defendants," and pointed out, "It makes me realize once again that the victim-centered judicial system, which can guarantee the victim's safety, is not in place at all."

Earlier, around 9 p.m. on the 14th, Jeon (31) is suspected of killing station staff member A in the women's restroom at Sindang Station. The victim was transported to the hospital but ultimately passed away. Jeon had threatened A, his colleague who joined Seoul Metro at the same time, with the distribution of illegally filmed videos, forced meetings, and persistently stalked her.

On the 16th, Professor Lee appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and expressed regret, saying, "This case is a clear example of how dangerous stalking crimes are," and "I feel sorry that some measures were not taken earlier." She explained, "According to the family, the victim was stalked continuously since joining the company, and in October last year, she reported the suspect for illegal filming. After that incident, the suspect followed and harassed the victim, leading to a stalking report and the case being processed in February."

She also pointed out the problem with the current stalking punishment law being a 'complaint-based crime.' Since cases can be withdrawn if the victim agrees, perpetrators may continuously stalk victims, pressuring them to settle. Professor Lee said, "It has been discussed since the legislation that stalkers keep following victims, coercing them to settle and threatening them, and it became an issue again in June. If an arrest warrant had been requested and the suspect detained even in June, this victim might not have lost her life."

Regarding Jeon's psychological state, Professor Lee analyzed, "The defendant seems to have progressed from cognitive distortion to a state where normal thinking is impossible." The day of the incident was the day before the first trial verdict for Jeon. On that day, Jeon submitted two months' worth of apology letters to the court during the day and stabbed A with a weapon around 9 p.m., killing her.

She further pointed out, "This case contains multiple points that suggest how human rights-protective our judicial system and trial procedures are toward defendants." She criticized, "They give the defendant every possible opportunity to defend (his crime). Despite habitual stalking, no arrest warrant was requested, and because the defendant had a fixed address and job, they were given opportunities to present circumstances favorable to them in court."

Professor Lee added, "They showed maximum consideration for the suspect's human rights, and both the police and court accepted the apology letters until the end, allowing him to exercise his right to a fair trial without detention," but she pointed out, "However, there was never proper protection for the victim anywhere." She added, "It makes me realize once again that the victim-centered judicial system that can guarantee the victim's safety does not exist at all."

The victim, A, filed complaints against Jeon twice, but Jeon was not detained. When the first complaint was filed on October 27 last year, the police urgently arrested Jeon and requested an arrest warrant, but the court dismissed the warrant, citing "a fixed residence and no risk of evidence destruction or flight." The police implemented safety measures such as registering the victim in the 112 personal protection system for a month, but other measures like provisional orders, issuing smartwatches, or coordinated patrols were not carried out because the victim did not want them.

After the investigation began, Jeon was suspended from his position on October 13 last year but identified the victim's workplace through the company's internal network and continued stalking using text messages. Consequently, on January 27, A filed another complaint against Jeon for violating the Act on the Punishment of Criminal Acts, but the police did not request an arrest warrant.

Professor Lee said, "I don't understand why policies continue to monitor the victim instead of managing the perpetrator," and added, "Even COVID-19 patients received calls from local governments if they went outside their homes. Developing an app of that level wouldn't be difficult, so I don't understand why they don't consider installing such an app on stalkers' phones to geographically monitor whether they are continuously approaching the victim."