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Crime victims to receive written notification of their rights

Crime victims to receive written notification of their rights

Posted April. 14, 2015 07:11,   

한국어

Starting from Thursday, victims of crime will receive a written notification of information of their rights and support systems from prosecutors and police.

Investigative authorities had advised criminal suspects, based on the Miranda rule, their right to silence and the right to an attorney before they were interrogated. However, there had been no system that advises victims of their own rights.

Violent Crime Department of the Supreme Prosecutors` Office held a press conference jointly with the Justice Ministry and National Police Agency on Monday to announce the obligatory notification to victims of crime of their rights. Going forward, all victims, in being interrogated by police, will be guided via a written document the following rights: they will be questioned with a trustable party in company; they can request false name to be used in writing reports; they will be provided with information on criminal procedures; they can apply for a closed hearing when witness is attending; they will be provided with what their rights are in their testimony in court.

Crime victims will be also guided with information on the economic support they can get when the offender fails to compensate, including those on victim compensation as well as the medical treatment and living expenses they can apply to the government. The guide will also include information on psychological treatment and free legal supports.

The Justice Ministry explained that Korea is the first country to create a written legal policy by which crime victims are guided with their rights.

There are various systems currently in place that support victims of crime but they haven`t been fully taken advantage of because the public weren`t fully aware of them. A man was killed by a neighbor in November 2008, but his younger brother wasn`t aware of the victim compensation system and failed to benefit from it as he knew of it only after the period of legal prescription ended. The crime victim protection law was revised on October 15 last year and will take effect Thursday when it marks the first anniversary of the Sewol ferry sinking.

In principle, the crime victim rights guideline is delivered to the victim, but if the victim dies, it is provided to one person among the spouse, relatives of direct line, and brothers or sisters. Victims of sexual and family violence and child abuse will receive a separate rights support system guide.

It is the first time that prosecutors and police held a joint press conference on a policy issue. Prosecutors and police have worked on fine-tuning the statements contained in the rights guide for more than a month. "The joint press conference is significant in that both became united sharing a common ground in protecting rights of victims," said Park Ji-young, director of victims human rights at the Supreme Prosecutors` Office.



djc@donga.com