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Female officers to interview sexual assault victims
By Lee Jin-woo
December 14, 2004
Police said Tuesday female police officers will attend all sexual assault
investigations unless victims and their families protest.
The National Police Agency announced Tuesday its plan to protect the rights of
sexual assault victims while apologizing for the mishandling of the recent gang
rape committed by some 42 high school students in Miryang, South Kyongsang
Province.
``We apologize for not sending female police officers to treat the girls
carefully. It was our fault the victims and their families were hurt due to the
inappropriate language spoken by related suspects and police officials,’’
police said.
Police will have female police officers interview victims of sexual assault,
whether it is requested by victims and their families or not. If the victims
prefer to be investigated by male officers, family members or closely related
persons will be allowed to attend the questioning.
Video recorded testimonies, which have been mandatory in cases of child
molestation victims, 13 years or younger, since the end of last year, will be
used more often for teenage or adult victims of such cases, so as not to force
victims to repeat traumatic statements many times.
Despite a current protective measure, which requires a justice to attend a
police investigation procedure so that a teenage or adult victim’s testimony
can be accepted during court hearings legally, most female victims have not
been able to benefit from the regulation. That was because the whole procedure
was considered quite difficult and time-consuming, as a judge, police officers,
a victim and a suspect had to gather all in one place. But, police said the
regulation will be used more often to protect victims.
Police also promised that victims and suspects in sexual assault cases would be
strictly separated during the investigation process. In the Miryang case,
police officers asked the female victims to point out the suspects from a
lineup, causing the already frightened victims to fear reprisals.
Police plan to hold a public seminar to listen to opinions and proposals from
various groups, including womens’ rights activists, workers from counseling
offices for sexual assault victims and lawmakers on Thursday, Dec. 16.
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Korean
sexual assault case provokes uproar
12-12-2004
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