Nationwide Expansion of 'Video Witness Testimony' at Sunflower Centers for Minor Sexual Violence Victims

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family - Court Administration Office Expand Video Witness Examination to 16 Provinces
Target Victims Expanded from Under 16 to Under 19
Testimony via Video Link from Sunflower Center Instead of Courtroom

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] # The mother of A, a 9-year-old child sexual violence victim, applied for video testimony two years ago when her child was too scared to even enter the building during a prosecution investigation. It was judged that testifying via video relay at the Sunflower Center was better than going to an unfamiliar courtroom where the defendant might be encountered. A’s mother said, "Although she struggled with questions from the defendant’s side, she was able to give better testimony than before and was relieved to find stability more easily."

Video testimony for child and adolescent sexual violence victims at the Sunflower Center will be expanded nationwide.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Court Administration announced on the 20th that from the 21st, the pilot project for video testimony linked with the Sunflower Center will be expanded from 7 cities and provinces (8 centers) to 16 cities and provinces (34 centers). The eligible victim age will also be expanded from under 16 to under 19 years old children and adolescents.

The video testimony pilot project has been implemented in preparation for an increase in court appearances after the Constitutional Court ruled the evidence validity of video statements by child and adolescent victims under Article 30-6 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, which was declared unconstitutional in December last year.

The Court Administration Office revised the related regulations last month on the 7th to allow witnesses to choose whether they wish to participate in video testimony by including a "Witness Support Procedure Application Form" sent along with the witness summons.

Child and adolescent sexual violence victims who wish to use video testimony participate in testimony through video or other relay devices at the Sunflower Center instead of the courtroom. A counselor familiar to the victim accompanies them as a trusted person to support the trial process, and victims are connected to centers near their residence to enable testimony in a more comfortable and familiar environment. The pilot project has been in operation since June, with a total of 11 video testimonies decided and 7 conducted so far. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Court Administration will distribute the ‘Video Testimony Operation Guide,’ reflecting the pilot project results, to courts and Sunflower Centers nationwide ahead of the nationwide expansion.

On the 7th of last month, the Court Administration revised the ‘Regulations on the Trial, Judgment, and Protection of Victims in Sexual Crime Cases’ to allow victims to select whether they wish to use video testimony on the witness support procedure application form sent with the ‘witness summons’ to encourage more child and adolescent victims to use video testimony at the Sunflower Center.

Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, said, "I hope that the expanded video testimony linked with the Sunflower Center will help reduce the burden on child and adolescent victims of having to testify directly in court," and added, "We will actively promote strengthening the functions of the Sunflower Center to expand customized services for the daily recovery of child and adolescent victims."

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