6263 Cases Occurred from 2017 to 2021
133 Cases of Confinement Injury and Death in 2021 Alone
Not Subject to Complaints or Non-Prosecution by Consent
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A man in his 20s in Incheon, who confined his girlfriend and forced her to eat his pet dog's feces, among other prolonged assaults, has been sued again for violating the Stalking Punishment Act. The Samsan Police Station in Incheon is investigating the man in his 20s on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes. It was revealed that this man had confined the victim he was dating at the time for about five hours and assaulted her, and he was already on trial for charges of confinement and injury.
In Seoul, employees of a real estate sales dormitory who were accused of confining and abusing a man in his 20s were sentenced to imprisonment in the first trial. They were prosecuted on charges of causing serious injury by forcing Kim Mo (21), a man in his 20s who escaped from the dormitory established for real estate sales in a villa in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to jump after severe abuse. Investigations revealed that they repeatedly subjected him to harsh treatment such as shaving his head, pouring cold water, assault, and binding with tape.
It has been found that crimes involving kidnapping and confinement of victims occur more than three times a day. Such kidnapping and confinement crimes are highly likely to lead to violent crimes, increasing their seriousness.
According to the National Police Agency on the 23rd, the number of arrest (kidnapping) and confinement cases was 1,439 in 2017, 1,207 in 2018, 1,243 in 2019, 1,209 in 2020, and 1,165 in 2021. A total of 6,263 cases occurred over five years, averaging 3.4 cases per day. Among these, cases of arrest and confinement resulting in injury or death also surged from 118 in 2017 to 91 in 2018, 92 in 2019, 94 in 2020, and sharply increased to 133 in 2021.
Suspects Ahn (20) and Kim (20), accused of confining a friend and causing death through cruel acts in an officetel in Mapo-gu, are being transferred from the Seoul Mapo Police Station to the prosecution on the 22nd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
These kidnapping and confinement crimes have a high clearance rate of over 93% annually and are not subject to victim's complaint or non-prosecution by the victim, resulting in severe punishment. If injury is caused, the offender faces imprisonment of more than one year; if death results, imprisonment of more than three years. Especially since most kidnapping and confinement crimes have a high potential to escalate into more serious crimes such as sexual assault, violence, or murder, early police response is considered crucial.
In fact, last month in Jeju Island, a man in his 40s was sentenced to imprisonment for confining and assaulting his girlfriend because she refused to show her mobile phone. The defendant forcibly took his girlfriend into a certain entertainment bar in Jeju City, where he was preparing to open a business, confined her for about 3 hours and 50 minutes, verbally abused her, and assaulted her multiple times.
In an officetel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, men in their 20s who were prosecuted for confining a classmate and causing his death through harsh treatment were sentenced to 30 years in prison. They were charged with confining the victim, restricting food provision, and continuing harsh treatment, which led to the victim's death from pneumonia and malnutrition.
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