Police to Expand 'Crime Victim Assessment System' Nationwide

The police have decided to expand the Crime Victim Assessment System to all police stations nationwide.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 12th, the National Police Agency announced that it will expand the Crime Victim Assessment System from the existing 230 police stations to all 258 police stations across the country.

The Crime Victim Assessment System involves external psychological experts conducting a comprehensive evaluation of victims of violent crimes, stalking, dating violence, and other offenses who have suffered physical, psychological, and economic damages. The results are then reflected in criminal procedures. The system aims to guarantee the participation of violent crime victims in criminal procedures by incorporating detailed victim damage reports and opinions into decisions such as the issuance of arrest warrants and sentencing, thereby promoting prompt psychological recovery.

The National Police Agency first piloted the system in 101 police stations in 2016 and has expanded the number of participating stations annually. Additionally, the number of victims assessed through the system has increased. The number of assessments, which was only 844 cases in 2016, rose to a total of 1,696 cases last year across 230 police stations.

According to a survey conducted by the National Police Agency last year targeting 1,696 victims who used the Crime Victim Assessment System, 96% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the system. Furthermore, 91% said they would recommend the system to other victims.

Ahead of this year’s nationwide expansion to all police stations, the National Police Agency collaborated with the Korean Society of Legal Psychology to train an additional 31 psychological experts to ensure that every city and county has a crime victim assessment specialist. The number of psychological experts increased from 162 last year to 193 this year. Additionally, to increase the utilization of the system by stalking and dating violence victims who require separation from the suspect, a "rapid assessment procedure" was introduced, reducing the process time from two weeks to within five days.

A police official stated, "Starting this year, as we expand the Crime Victim Assessment System to all police stations and introduce the rapid assessment procedure, we hope that the voices of more criminal victims will be reflected in criminal procedures."