Majority of stalking victims don't trust police

By Lee Hae-rin

gettyimagesbank

According to a survey of women who have been the victims of stalking, 60 percent of respondents did not pursue any legal measures because they believe the law enforcement authorities and relevant legal systems do not protect them.

The in-depth survey was conducted by the Korea Women's Hot Line from July 28 to Aug. 17 on 40 female victims on their experiences of being stalked and the relevant laws and systems.

In the survey, 65 percent of the respondents said it was difficult to actively deal with stalking, such as reporting the crime to police, because they feared their action might anger the stalker and make the situation worse.

When multiple answers were allowed, 57.5 percent responded that reporting the stalker to police might not help them, reflecting the victims' distrust in investigators and a lack of social awareness about this kind of violence, the organization said.

According to one of the respondents, when she reported her case to the police, an officer said there was nothing they could do if there was no evidence of direct or physical damage by the stalker.

Regarding a revised law on stalking, which will take effect next month, 80 percent of the respondents answered the revision was insufficient to protect victims and punish assailants.

So far, stalking has been categorized as a misdemeanor subject to fines of up to 100,000 won. According to the revision, however, stalkers could face up to five years in prison, and police officers on the scene can impose a restraining order that legally prevents them from coming within 100 meters of the complainant for up to one month if the perpetrator is likely to continue stalking.

But the surveyed people said the restraining order is a temporary solution that does not last long enough, fails to protect the victims and raises the fear of retaliation by perpetrators.

“The latest revision provides a legal basis to punish stalking as a serious crime, but there is much work left to be done to adequately protect stalking victims,” the organization said in a statement.