Stalking protections still lacking 1 year after Sindang murder, expert says

Social Affairs

Published: 12 Sep. 2023, 12:52 Updated: 12 Sep. 2023, 13:24

Stalking protections still lacking 1 year after Sindang murder, expert says

A memorial space to remember the victim of the Sindang Station murder is set up at exit No. 10 of Sindang Station on line No. 2 on Monday. Jeon Joo-hwan, the killer, stabbed a woman colleague to death in the subway station's public restroom on Sep. 14, 2022. [NEWS1]

Nearly a year has passed since stalker and murderer Jeon Joo-hwan killed a coworker at Sindang Station, but experts say there is inadequate protection for the victim and punishment for the attackers.

According to police data submitted to Democratic Party Rep. Kwon In-sook Tuesday, there were 7,545 stalking suspected apprehended by the police between January and August.

Of those, 66 percent, or 5,000, were sent to prosecutors, and the rest were released.

Sindang Station murderer sentenced to life in prison

Since the Stalking Punishment Act was enacted on Oct. 21, 2021, 18,362 people have been apprehended on suspicion of stalking, and 65 percent were sent to prosecutors.

However, measures adopted by law enforcement to separate the victim and the stalker do not guarantee full protection for the victims.

Such measures include a written warning, a 100-meter (328-foot) restraining order, a telecommunication ban and an arrest.

Around one out of 10 restrictive measures ordered between October 2021 and July this year were ignored by the stalkers.

From January to July this year, there were 553 violations, including a case where a man in his 30s killed his ex-girlfriend in a corridor of an apartment building in Incheon in July.

The Sindang Station murder prompted the government to strengthen the Stalking Punishment Act to order those facing stalking charges to wear a tracker device, but Chong Hyon-mi, a professor at Ewha Womans University's law school says the protective measures are insufficient.

"Enforcement measures and psychological pressure must be imposed on attackers to protect victims from repeated stalking from the early phase," Chong said.

Chong also called for harsher punishments.

"Statistically, only 11 percent of the violation cases [against restriction orders by the court] result in prison sentences and the weight of the penalty, mostly under an 8-month sentence, is relatively lenient."

Thirty-three percent of the violations resulted in a fine, and 32 percent received probation. Nine out of 10 fines were under 5 million won ($3,800).

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]