Inclusion of 'Domestic Violence Crimes' in Electronic Device Attachment for Specific Crimes
Emergency Temporary Measures Surge 227% in 4 Years
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Mr. A was prosecuted for threatening his wife, Ms. B (33), with a weapon at their home in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on September 5 last year, but he was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a 3-year probation. One month earlier, in August, Mr. A also kicked Ms. B in the abdomen out of anger over her nagging, causing injuries that required two weeks of medical treatment.
As domestic violence crimes continue to occur, there are ongoing calls for legal system improvements to prevent them.
According to the National Assembly, Hong Jeongmin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed a partial amendment to the "Act on Attachment of Electronic Devices" last month, allowing electronic monitoring orders for offenders who are at risk of committing domestic violence crimes again.
Under current law, specific crimes eligible for electronic location tracking devices include sexual offenses, kidnapping crimes against minors, murder, and robbery.
In response, Representative Hong argued that crimes occurring within the home are highly likely to be repeated and that the victims are mainly socially vulnerable, so it is necessary to prevent such crimes through the electronic monitoring system.
He proposed changing Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 2 from "murder and robbery" to "murder, robbery, and domestic violence crimes."
According to the police, the number of domestic violence offenders arrested in 2021 was 46,041, and the number of households at risk of domestic violence recurrence was 16,365. Compared to five years ago, these figures increased by 19% and 36%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the number of "emergency temporary measures," which the police can impose ex officio or upon the victim's request when there is a high risk of domestic violence recurrence, has also surged. It increased from 1,183 cases in 2017 to 3,865 cases in 2021, a 226.7% rise over four years.
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