By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff reporter
The police will notify victims of their rights in the same way they give the Miranda warning to criminal suspects.
The National Police Agency (NPA) said Sunday that it will introduce a preliminary system Monday for victims to be notified of their rights when they make statements.
The NPA will test-operate the system in three stations - Gwanak Police Station, Seodaemun Police Station and the one-stop support center in Boramae Medical Center - and expand it in July after discussion with the related institutions such as the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution.
The victims of homicide, robbery, arson, organized crime, sexual violence and hit-and-run accidents would be among those receiving notifications during the test period.
"The police officer in charge is obliged to inform the rights of victims to the victims and the victims will be required to sign the police report as a written confirmation of their rights," a police official said.
The police have given the Miranda warning to suspects, but have been negligent in securing the rights of victims.
"The new system is to protect the victim's rights properly in the process of an investigation. It is true that we did not notify their rights properly for the convenience of an investigation," the official said.
The Miranda warning details the rights of criminal suspects to be stated by police before they are interrogated.
The original five rights for suspects include the right to remain silent and that anything the person says may be used against that person in court; the right to consult with an attorney and to have that attorney present during questioning; and an attorney will be provided at no cost to represent her or him in case of the suspect cannot afford one.
However, the rights for victims are different from the Miranda warning. Those for victims contain the right to state their harm or report data to the investigation authorities, the right to be notified of the investigation progress, the right to request financial support and consultation and the right to protect their privacy.