emerging gender violence (stalking and online sexual crime etc.) and to protect
victims. The Government shall make legislative efforts to enact the Act on the
Punishment of Stalking and Protection of Victims so that stalking victims could
be effectively protected and supported on top of punishing the act of stalking as
a new type of crime.
[17] Development of Measures to Prevent Dating Violence (List of Issues 10)
72. Recently, violence between couples has become a serious social issue. Since the
crime takes place in a close relationship, victims tend to think that they should
shoulder the burden themselves, becoming reluctant to report or request for
help until violence poses a grave threat to them. Even if they finally reported, the
police has taken a lukewarm response citing privacy between a man and a
women when they are in a relationship or used to live together, which resulted
in murder in worst case scenarios. According to data of the National Police
Agency in 2016, the number of arrests for criminal charges on dating violence
was 8,367 in 2016 which increased by 8.8% compared to the previous year and
449 people were indicted. The number of cases of murder is continuously about
100 per year and assault, rape and forced sexual harassment are constantly
increasing as well.
73. Under the current law, dating violence could be regulated when it constitutes
crime based on the Criminal Act and other special criminal codes. Victims of
dating violence are also protected and supported by the current law which was
applied to the act of crime. Normally, they could be protected and supported by
the Criminal Procedure Act and in case of sexual violence, it is possible to
provide protection and support according to the Sexual Violence Prevention and
Victims Protection Act and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment,
etc. of Sexual Crimes. However, in the process, measures to set the direction of
handling cases and protect victims need to be developed considering the special
relationship between the offender and the victim. The establishment of a
protective system for dating violence victims through the revision to the Act on
Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Crimes of Domestic Violence is