In the future, sexual crime cases involving children and youth will not be closed without prosecution, and all cases will be referred to the prosecution regardless of whether charges are acknowledged.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that an amendment to the 'Law on the Protection of Children and Youth from Sexual Abuse' passed the National Assembly on the 17th.
The core of the amendment mandates that judicial police officers must refer all sexual crime cases involving children and youth to the prosecution without exception after investigation.
This is expected to enhance protection and judicial verification for child and youth victims, who may find it difficult to fully grasp the facts of the case in the early stages of investigation.
Since the implementation of the revised Criminal Procedure Act in 2021, judicial police officers have been able to close cases they deem unsubstantiated without referring them to the prosecution, raising concerns about the need for additional judicial review of non-prosecution decisions.
There were also worries that when cases are closed without prosecution, necessary protective and supportive measures for child and youth victims may not be implemented promptly and appropriately.
This amendment institutionalizes a procedure for additional review of cases where the facts may not be fully clarified in the early stages of investigation, laying the groundwork for strict investigation and judicial verification of sexual crimes against children and youth.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure the smooth implementation of the revised law and to monitor that there are no gaps in victim protection and support during the reform of the criminal justice system.
Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung stated, "We have established institutional measures to strengthen judicial review of sexual crime cases involving children and youth and to protect and support the rights of child and youth victims. We will continue to work with relevant agencies to ensure that vulnerable citizens are adequately protected and receive prompt support when crimes occur in the new criminal justice system."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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