ID :
92938
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 08:59
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/92938
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Maximum jail term for child sex offenders set to rise to 50 years
SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- The government and the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) are pushing to raise the maximum jail term to 50 years for perpetrators of violent crimes, including sexual abuse of children, officials said Wednesday.
The move is part of the latest proposed legal revision following fierce public
outcry over a local court ruling that sentenced the rapist of an 8-year-old girl,
who became disabled because of the crime, to only 12 years in jail.
The new proposal calls for tougher punishment than the Justice Ministry's earlier
draft to raise the ceiling of "limited-period" imprisonment to 30 years.
The nation's current laws carry sentences of death, life in prison or a
"limited-period prison term" of a maximum of 22.5 years, but there are no
sentences between the extremes.
In September, a 57-year-old man living in Ansan, south of Seoul, was sentenced by
a district court to 12 years in prison for brutally beating and raping a girl,
known only as Na-young, after kidnapping her on her way to school in December
last year. Na-young sustained irreversible damage to her genitals as a result of
the rape.
Apparently conscious of public resentment over the lighter-than-expected
punishment, the Suwon District Court, south of Seoul, on Wednesday sentenced a
31-year-old man, identified only as Yoon, to a hefty 20 years in prison for
raping and injuring an eight-year-old girl.
The government and the GNP also agreed to abolish the statute of limitations for
all sex crimes against children.
"By abolishing the statute of limitation, we will put efforts to make people
realize that legal justice is still alive," Rep. Joo Seong-young of the GNP said
after the party's policy consultation meeting with the government.
"Although the death penalty system still remains in South Korea, there has been
de facto moratorium. So it is necessary to raise the maximum jail term," Joo
said.
The last execution was carried out in December 1997 and there has since been an
unofficial moratorium on the death penalty.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
The move is part of the latest proposed legal revision following fierce public
outcry over a local court ruling that sentenced the rapist of an 8-year-old girl,
who became disabled because of the crime, to only 12 years in jail.
The new proposal calls for tougher punishment than the Justice Ministry's earlier
draft to raise the ceiling of "limited-period" imprisonment to 30 years.
The nation's current laws carry sentences of death, life in prison or a
"limited-period prison term" of a maximum of 22.5 years, but there are no
sentences between the extremes.
In September, a 57-year-old man living in Ansan, south of Seoul, was sentenced by
a district court to 12 years in prison for brutally beating and raping a girl,
known only as Na-young, after kidnapping her on her way to school in December
last year. Na-young sustained irreversible damage to her genitals as a result of
the rape.
Apparently conscious of public resentment over the lighter-than-expected
punishment, the Suwon District Court, south of Seoul, on Wednesday sentenced a
31-year-old man, identified only as Yoon, to a hefty 20 years in prison for
raping and injuring an eight-year-old girl.
The government and the GNP also agreed to abolish the statute of limitations for
all sex crimes against children.
"By abolishing the statute of limitation, we will put efforts to make people
realize that legal justice is still alive," Rep. Joo Seong-young of the GNP said
after the party's policy consultation meeting with the government.
"Although the death penalty system still remains in South Korea, there has been
de facto moratorium. So it is necessary to raise the maximum jail term," Joo
said.
The last execution was carried out in December 1997 and there has since been an
unofficial moratorium on the death penalty.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
