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National Assembly prepares legislation to combat sexual violence

The legislation is a response by ruling and opposition parties to recent sexual assault cases, though the Constitutionality of retroactive legislation is expected to spark controversy

» Kim Kil-tae, suspect in the case of the murder-rape of a 13-year-old middle school student is arrested by the police in Busan City, March 10.

Ruling and opposition parties plan to hold a plenary session of the National Assembly on March 31 and pass legislation regarding sexual violence. The legislation is in response to the recent violent crimes related to sexual assault and rape that have occurred in the country.

According to Democratic Party (DP) spokesman Woo Jae-chang, ruling Grand National Party (GNP) floor leader Ahn Sang-soo and main opposition DP floor leader Lee Kang-rae met at the National Assembly on Wednesday and made plans to pass bills at the March 31 plenary session for the prevention of sexual violence, development of the “Super Supermarket (SSM)” distribution industry, jobs, and other social welfare issues.

In order to do this, ruling and opposition parties established plans to normalize the related standing committees beginning on March 19. Regarding a controversial retroactive application of the Electronic Tagging Law, Woo said, “There is the potential that it is unconstitutional, but we plan to leave it to the legislative process and do everything that is in the power of the National Assembly in this situation.”

Previously, the GNP, Justice Ministry and National Police Agency held a party-government meeting at the National Assembly on Wednesday and agreed to push a plan for retroactive application of the law requiring electronic tagging for convicted sex offenders. Park Min-sik, lawmaker on the GNP’s special committee on sexual crimes against children, said, “We agreed that because security measures, unlike criminal punishment, are put into place to eliminate future danger, it may be possible to reduce this possibility for this piece of retroactive legislation.”

Park also said the retroactive application of the law is to be limited to only extreme circumstances according to legal procedure in order to prevent human rights violations.

However, controversy is expected to increase during the law amendment process, as many inside and outside the political sector are noting the strong possibility of the unconstitutionality of retroactive legislation.

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Posted on : Mar.11,2010 14:03 KST

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