"Embarrassed to Be Seen by Others"... 20-Year-Old Woman Damages Electronic Ankle Bracelet

A Man in His 20s Attempted to Damage an Electronic Ankle Bracelet with Scissors

A woman in her 20s, who was ordered to wear an electronic anklet (location tracking electronic device) for stalking an acquaintance, was caught by the police while attempting to damage the anklet because she was embarrassed to be seen by others.

On the 6th, the Pyeongtaek Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that they had requested an arrest warrant for Ms. A on charges of violating the Act on the Attachment of Electronic Devices. Ms. A is suspected of trying to damage the electronic anklet she was wearing with scissors around 11 p.m. the previous day in Poseung-eup, Pyeongtaek City. When the anklet band was damaged, the Ministry of Justice was automatically notified, and the police, having received the report from the Ministry, dispatched officers and apprehended Ms. A.

According to the investigation, Ms. A was criminally charged last month for stalking by contacting a man she knew against his will. Additionally, as a provisional measure before the court ruling against the stalking perpetrator, she was ordered to wear the electronic anklet until the end of the year.

The amended Stalking Crime Punishment Act, implemented this year, includes a "location tracking provisional measure" intended to monitor in real time whether the stalking perpetrator complies with a restraining order, thereby preventing retaliation against the victim. Accordingly, Ms. A, who was found to have serious stalking charges, was ordered to wear the electronic anklet, which she then attempted to damage.

Ms. A stated, "The electronic anklet was uncomfortable, and I was embarrassed to be seen by others, so I damaged it." The police plan to continue further investigation once the decision on Ms. A’s detention is made.

Meanwhile, this is not the first case of damaging an electronic anklet. On the 11th of last month, a man in his 50s in Incheon was caught by the police within 40 minutes after damaging his electronic anklet and fleeing. This man had previously been convicted by the court on charges of rape and injury and was also ordered to wear an electronic anklet. The police handed him over to the Incheon Probation Office.