By Kim Young-jin
President Lee Myung-bak pledged Monday to combat sexual violence by bolstering the police force, improving the design of electronic monitoring anklets and other measures as the nation remains in shock after the rape of a seven-year-old girl.
Pointing to the proliferation of “obscene material” as the main cause of such crimes, Lee said in his biweekly radio address that all deterrence measures including chemical castration must be considered.
The remarks came a day after a local court issued an arrest warrant for a 23-year-old man suspected of kidnapping and raping the girl who had been sleeping in her home in the southern town of Naju.
"As president, I feel deeply devastated and regretful," Lee said. "What has to be done urgently in the short run is to increase the number of officers on the scene. The government will work to muster all possible government authorities and police personnel to ensure public order and security."
Lee said he had directed the relevant agencies “to immediately reflect in next year's budget plan the need to protect the day-to-day lives of the people and maintain public order and security.”
He also said the government and lawmakers should quickly deal with the increasing production of obscene material easily accessible on the Internet and even smartphones.
The suspect, identified only as Ko, earlier confessed that he committed the crime under the influence of alcohol. Ko is said to have frequently watched child pornography.
“Insofar as it does not compromise the right to freedom of expression, it is necessary to beef up pertinent laws and systems to punish such perpetrators more severely,” he said.
The President added that an investigation will be launched into the estimated 20,000 sex offenders who could perpetrate further offenses as a precaution and that the disclosure of personal information regarding sex offenders would be “further enhanced.”
"The government will muster all its capabilities in order to prevent crime and secure the safety of the community,” the President said.
“Particularly, we will strive to root out sex crimes against women and children.”
But the problem cannot be solved through security measures alone, Lee noted, calling for fundamental changes including improving of child services such as afterschool programs, and by widening the nation’s social safety net.
Lee apologized Friday for the government's failure and vowed to strengthen policing as his top priority.
Ko has confessed not only to the rape but also attempting to strangle the victim to death.