Justice Ministry to allow prosecution of stalking offenders without victims' consent

A passerby on Friday writes a message of condolences for a victim murdered Wednesday by a stalking perpetrator. Many mourners visited the restroom at Sindang Station in Seoul, where the murder occured, to lament the injustice. (Yonhap)

The Ministry of Justice will amend the current anti-stalking law in order to enhance the system to protect victims, in response to a murder at Sindang Station in Seoul that took place Wednesday.

The Justice Ministry announced Friday it will abolish a certain provision of the anti-stalking law that stipulates a perpetrator cannot be prosecuted without the agreement of the victim. The ministry analyzed that the provision hinders investigative agencies from offering protection in the early stages and may lead perpetrators to commit secondary stalking offenses or retaliatory crimes.

The ministry will also consider tracking suspected perpetrators from the early stages of cases, along with other measures to protect victims such as banning access of suspects to victims, preparing more detention sites and more actively filing arrest warrants.

Earlier Friday on his way to work, President Yoon Suk-yeol said he had ordered the Justice Ministry to improve the current anti-stalking law to protect victims and prevent similar crimes.

 

By Lee Jung-Youn(jy@heraldcorp.com)