Gyeonggi-do, Nationwide First to Provide Comprehensive Support for Victims of Stalking and Dating Violence

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Gwanggyo New Office Building

Gyeonggi Province is taking comprehensive measures to provide counseling, medical, and legal support to stalking and dating violence victims who fall into the blind spots of the 'Stalking Punishment Act,' becoming the first in the nation to do so.

On the 7th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it has decided to establish and implement the nation's first 'Comprehensive Measures for Stalking and Dating Violence Response,' based on the judgment that early intervention in stalking and dating violence and victim protection are necessary. However, various forms of stalking have blind spots under current laws, and dating violence lacks legal provisions, limiting institutional support, thus requiring more thorough and proactive assistance.

The comprehensive measures support not only stalking victims who have suffered direct harm but also those who experience a reasonable level of fear and their protectors. Additionally, victims of dating violence who fall into legal and institutional blind spots will also receive support.

The main contents include ▲strengthening the victim support promotion system (reorganizing the delivery system, operating an information website) ▲enhancing prevention and safety (raising awareness, establishing an early intervention system through a joint response team for domestic and sexual violence) ▲expanding victim protection and self-reliance support (supporting even one-time stalking, supporting dating violence victims, treatment and recovery programs, personal safety protection services, customized protection services for recipients) ▲operating offender recidivism prevention programs (offender awareness improvement healing programs, building community safety networks), among others.

The province will first provide integrated services such as psychological, medical, and legal support not only to victims of 'continuous or repeated' stalking crimes but also to all stalking and dating violence victims, considering the urgency of each case.

Additionally, to support victims' safety and daily lives, personal safety protection services and operation of protection facilities tailored to victim characteristics have been selected as mid- to long-term tasks to be promoted.

The existing victim support system will also be reorganized, and dedicated personnel for stalking and dating violence will be appointed and operated at support institutions such as domestic violence victim protection facilities.

Furthermore, an online platform (website) will be established to provide guidance from prevention to response methods, actively informing about risk assessment items (checklists), response methods in case of incidents, and information on support institutions.

Prevention activities such as education and campaigns to strengthen residents' response capabilities to stalking and dating violence will also be enhanced. Customized content will be developed for different target groups, and 'Healthy Dating Education' will be conducted for children and adolescents.

Moreover, the province will expand the 'Joint Response Team for Domestic and Sexual Violence' from 4 to 8 locations this year to enable early intervention and welfare support for stalking and dating violence victims reported through 112.

Joo Ju-yeon, Director of the Women's and Family Bureau of the province, emphasized, "Recently, stalking and dating violence have occurred in complex ways with existing violence against women, leading to serious crimes. We will create a safe Gyeonggi Province free from all violence through a thorough integrated support system from prevention to protection of victims who are in institutional blind spots, as well as offender awareness improvement programs."

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