'The Second Jo Doo-soon' Emerges... Growing Public Anxiety Over Repeated Child Sex Offender Releases, Are There Any Measures?

Citizens 'Anxious' Over Release of Child Sex Offenders Including Jo Doo-sun and Kim Geun-sik
Growing Public Support for 'Protective Custody System' to Isolate Released Violent Criminals
Legislation Repeatedly Fails Due to Human Rights Concerns
Experts Say "Punishment and Protective Custody Are Different... Humane Treatment Needed"

File photo. As it is reported that Kim Geun-sik, who serially sexually assaulted 11 minors, is about to be released, public anxiety is growing.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Following the news of the release of another child sex offender after Jo Doo-soon, public anxiety is growing. Among citizens concerned about recidivism, there are calls for measures to be taken.

In particular, anxiety among citizens is intensifying as it is reported that Kim Geun-sik, who sexually assaulted 11 minors in the Incheon and Gyeonggi areas, is about to be released. Kim Geun-sik served 5 years and 6 months in prison for child sexual assault in 2000 but committed a sex crime against a 9-year-old elementary school student just 16 days after his release.

Citizens are outraged, demanding that the release of child sex offenders be prevented. On the 6th, a petition titled "Opposition to the release of a sex offender with 19 prior convictions scheduled for release in September" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. The petitioner shared articles about Kim Geun-sik’s criminal record and stated, "For the safety of the people and especially the children, I oppose his release."

When Jo Doo-soon was released at the end of last year, there were also widespread demands to prevent his release. A related petition posted in September 2017 garnered 615,354 signatures, and another in October 2018 received 261,418 signatures. Jo Doo-soon, who kidnapped and sexually assaulted an elementary school student in 2008, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with his intoxicated state at the time of the crime considered as diminished capacity.

Office worker Heo Mo (25, female) expressed anger, saying, "What if child rapists come back into society and reoffend?" She added, "For heinous criminals who cannot be rehabilitated, punishment and isolation should take precedence over rehabilitation."

On December 12, 2020, Jo Doo-soon, a child sex offender, was released after serving his sentence. On that day, angry citizens gathered in front of Jo Doo-soon's residence located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As public demand for post-release management of child sex offenders grows, the need for legislation on the 'Protective Custody Act,' which isolates violent offenders in protective facilities for a certain period after their sentence ends, has been raised. This system allows individuals who have committed sexual crimes against children and pose a significant risk of reoffending to be placed in social rehabilitation facilities for a set period after completing their prison term.

Public opinion on the Protective Custody Act appears positive. In September last year, Ansan Mayor Yoon Hwa-seop posted a petition titled "Strongly urging the enactment of the so-called 'Jo Doo-soon Isolation Law' - 'Protective Custody Act,'" which received 119,137 signatures. Ansan is the area where the released Jo Doo-soon resides.

A survey showed that 8 out of 10 citizens support the protective custody system. According to a survey conducted by Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on December 19-20 last year among 1,000 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide, 86.5% of respondents said that "introducing a protective custody system for child sex offenders would be effective in preventing recidivism and alleviating residents' anxiety." Reasons for supporting the system included △helping ensure the safety and ease the anxiety of victims and their families △effectively preventing crime by increasing the actual sentence length.

However, attempts to legislate the Protective Custody Act have repeatedly failed due to concerns over human rights violations. Since 2010, the Ministry of Justice has made several attempts to legislate it, but the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) and others have blocked it, citing double punishment and human rights protection.

In 2016, the NHRCK stated, "Protective custody essentially deprives freedom and is no different from punishment, so there is a high risk of repeated punishment. Also, there are no clear and specific criteria to assess the risk of reoffending, which is a condition for protective custody orders." They added, "When introducing laws or systems that seriously restrict constitutionally guaranteed freedoms such as bodily freedom and freedom of residence and movement, more careful consideration is necessary."

Experts emphasize the need for active management to reduce the risk of recidivism. Seung Jae-hyun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice, said at the NHRCK's "Protective Custody Act (Draft) Forum," "Protective custody should be discussed not as a detention method involving isolation and desocialization as an extension of punishment, but as a pro-social system that allows individuals at risk of reoffending to actively and positively reintegrate into society through protection." He added, "The most necessary thing for those subject to protective custody is to reduce the risk of recidivism, so advanced and proactive rehabilitation treatment programs must be developed."

He also suggested ways to create a more human rights-friendly Protective Custody Act. Researcher Seung explained, "While punishment is imposed for responsibility for crimes committed, protective custody is a measure based on the risk of future crimes, so humane treatment is necessary." Proposed measures include △free use of communal facilities such as lounges, showers, and libraries △preventing severance from family and allowing communication with the outside through phone calls, visits, and correspondence △providing living supplies such as clothing and bedding suitable for maintaining health △and maintaining safety and order.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.