Ministry of Justice Establishes One-Stop Support System for Crime Victims

The Ministry of Justice has established the "One-Stop Support System for Crime Victims" to strengthen the organic linkage of crime victim support systems across various ministries and agencies.

Ministry of Justice, Government Gwacheon Complex. Photo by Kwak Minjae

On the 27th, the Ministry of Justice announced that it finalized the One-Stop Support System for Crime Victims, prepared by the consultative body for establishing the one-stop support system for crime victims, which has been operating since October last year with ministries and agencies related to victim protection and support, after deliberation by the Crime Victim Protection Committee.

Until now, support systems for crime victims have been variously established by each ministry and agency, but there have been criticisms regarding the lack of linkage and convenience between support systems.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice has promoted the establishment of a one-stop support system for crime victims as a national agenda of the current government to strengthen the organic linkage of crime victim support systems, which are dispersed across ministries and agencies, so that victims can conveniently and organically receive various services such as economic, legal, psychological, employment, welfare, and financial support.

First, the Ministry of Justice assigned the role of a "one-stop support hub" to dedicated agencies for each type of crime to provide customized comprehensive support. The dedicated agencies by crime type are ▲ Sunflower Center (sexual violence crimes) ▲ Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Center (digital sexual crimes) ▲ Child Protection Agency (child abuse) ▲ Elderly Protection Agency (elder abuse) ▲ Disability Rights Advocacy Agency (disability abuse) ▲ Crime Victim Support Center (other violent crimes), etc.

A one-stop solution center will also be newly established where victims can receive comprehensive support in one place, not only legal and economic support but also psychological, employment, welfare, and financial assistance.

The government plans to launch a victim support portal system linked with the next-generation Criminal Justice Information System (KICS) by December next year, so that crime victims can easily check the available support systems.

Additionally, the Ministry of Justice will produce and distribute manuals for customized support according to crime type and victim type for use by each victim support agency, and integrated training for support agencies such as prosecutors and police will begin in the first half of next year.

A Ministry of Justice official stated, “We plan to prepare measures to enhance victims’ access to criminal justice procedure information and simplify victim support procedures so that crime victims can receive more convenient and thorough support.”