More sex offenders to be chemically castrated

Posted on : 2012-09-14 14:45 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Harsher sentences for sex offenders comes out of growing public distress over sexual violence

By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter
In the future, any offender who has committed a sex crime against a minor aged younger than 19 could be subject to chemical castration, a treatment meant to reduce sexual urges.
The Office of the Prime Minster at the second meeting of its “Task Force Team to Eradicate Sexual Violence against Women and Children” Sept. 13 decided to expand the scope of those subject to the chemical treatment to offenders who have committed sexual violence on subjects younger than 19 years of age, up from the current standard of 16. The measure will be put forth at the National Assembly in consultation with the ruling New Frontier Party and is expected to take effect next year.
The use of chemical castration is currently decided depending on the severity of the crime and the possibility that the perpetrator could commit the same kind of crime again. All types of sexual violence may apply, including rape, attempted rape, indecent use of force, sexual violence over the phone, etc.
The government also decided to expand the public disclosure of sex offenders’ personal information. The system of disclosure will be retroactively applied to offenders convicted three years prior to its enactment in April 2011. There are 2817 convicted offenders who will be subject to the amended law.
On Sept. 14, Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office requested a thorough investigation from Gwangju Probation Office into a suspect who was arrested on Aug. 30 on charges of kidnapping and raping a first grade student. The Probation Office can recommend castration to and the Prosecutors’ Office request was intended to ensure investigation before that decision is made. The judge in charge of the case will render the final decision.
For this, the prosecutor has requested the period of surveillance to be extended for another ten days to see whether the accused may be subject to the use of chemical castration. During this period, the prosecution will continue its investigation of the facts and motives behind the crime, in addition to a psychological assessment of the suspect by psychologists at the Probation Office and other crime analysts.
 
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