Prosecution wants death penalty for child abusers

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Monday it will seek the death penalty for those indicted for child abuse when the child dies for any reason. / Courtesy of Twitter

By Lee Han-soo

The prosecution will get tougher on child abusers in response to a growing public outcry, including seeking the death penalty.

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Monday it will seek the death penalty for those indicted for child abuse when the child dies for any reason. It will also seek detention of suspects before an official probe to ensure a thorough investigation.

This tougher stance reflects growing public demand for harsher punishment for child abusers.

“There has been much criticism from the public and within the prosecution regarding the level of punishment given to child abusers,” a Supreme Prosecutors’ Office official said. “The demanded level of punishment seemed to differ from whether or not the case received media attention. Therefore, we have set these measures as a baseline for future cases.”

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office also issued a guideline to prosecutors to seek additional punishment for those obliged to report child abuse, such as nursery teachers, teaching staff, the medical profession and child welfare institution employees. The guideline will also extend to parents, guardians and distributors or makers of child pornography.