By Na Jeong-ju
Almost half of sex crimes that occurred last year were committed by convicted sex offenders, according to a police report released Wednesday.
The report suggests that the use of electronic anklets and “chemical castration” have not been effective in deterring repeat offenses.
The National Police Agency said, of the 20,189 sex offenders arrested in 2011, 45.1 percent or 9,115 had sex-related criminal records, compared to 45.2 percent in 2010 and 51.3 percent in 2007.
Another report on sex crimes, released by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, also shows that 62 percent of offenders again committed crimes in 2010. The report said sex crimes have surged from 10,189 in 2000 to 16,156 in 2009 and 19,939 in 2010.
The reports came amid public uproar over the killing of a 10-year-old schoolgirl in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. The suspect, Kim Jeom-deok, 45, served a four-year prison term after being convicted in 2005 of attempted rape and assault against an elderly woman. Police found hundreds of video clips of child pornography on his computer.
The government began using electronic anklets from 2008 and implemented chemical castration in 2011 to tackle rising sex crimes. However, such measures are still disputed due to their alleged low efficacy and cost problems.
By law, offenders who sexually abuse children aged 13 or younger and repeat offenders should wear the electronic anklets. If convicted, offenders may be subject to chemical castration if they are deemed to have the potential to repeatedly commit sex offenses against minors.
Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Kum-lae told The Korea Times Tuesday that it cost some 3 million won to implement chemical castration. The government should also spend additional money to medicate offenders.
Experts say psychological therapies and rehabilitation programs could be more effective.
“Many countries are providing psychological therapy and counseling services to sex criminals, while maintaining strong punishment for those who repeat crimes,” said Yoon Jeong-sook, a researcher from the Korean Institute of Criminology.
“However, Korea tends to resort to physical measures. One of the side-effects is that it makes sex offenders more violent and anti-social.”
She said teaching them how to control their emotions and anger is important because most sexual offenders don’t think that they committed a crime.
