Rewards to be given to informants of juvenile sex trafficking

The Cabinet endorsed a bill on Tuesday to allow reward payments to those who provide information on suspects of juvenile sex trafficking as part of efforts to protect adolescents from sex crimes.

Under the revision, such informants will be given rewards of up to 1 million won ($895) in case their tip-off leads to the suspects being indicted or being spared by suspensions of indictment.

The revision also stipulates that cross-examination be shunned in the course of investigations into sex crimes involving young victims and experts who complete special training on child crimes be in charge of the cases in order to prevent the adolescent victims from suffering further undue pain and humiliation.

The Cabinet also approved a revision on the prevention of and countermeasures against school violence following the government's recent announcement of comprehensive measures to root out the social ill in the wake of a string of suicides by young bullied students nationwide.

Under the revision, one extra teacher will be assigned to each class of elementary and secondary schools to let them pay more attention to students vulnerable to acts of violence, while the perpetrators will be transferred to another school located far enough away from the school a victim attends. (Yonhap)