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The Democratic Party is pushing to completely abolish prosecutors' complementary investigative powers. However, at a seminar hosted by Democratic Party lawmakers at the National Assembly today (the 23rd), concerns poured in that this would create obstacles to uncovering the truth of crimes and force victims to run around searching for evidence.
Reporter Go Jeong-hyeon has the details.
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Instead of completely abolishing prosecutors' complementary investigative powers, the Democratic Party is reviewing measures such as allowing victims of crime to request a change of the investigator or reassignment of the investigative department within 14 days if they file an objection to an investigation. Other measures under consideration include having higher-level investigative agencies or other investigative bodies, such as a Serious Crime Investigation Agency, reinvestigate upon a prosecutor's request for complementary investigation.
The plan aims to dispel concerns about the abolition by reinforcing the power to request complementary investigations.
[Han Byung-do / Democratic Party Floor Leader: The time has come to put a period to intense debate and deliberation.]
However, at a National Assembly seminar hosted by Democratic Party lawmaker Hong Ki-won, who opposes the complete abolition, crime victims voiced deep concerns, urging, "Do not end the discussion leaving behind only the formal procedure of having listened to opinions."
[Victim of the Busan Roundhouse Kick Incident: To me, having lost my memory, (the police) asked, 'Do you think you were sexually assaulted?' and when I said, 'Probably not,' they just let it pass. It was the prosecutors' complementary investigation that changed that case to attempted murder involving rape.]
They pointed out that the complete abolition of complementary investigative powers could delay case processing,
[Kim Sang-chul / Bereaved Family Member of Late Film Director Kim Chang-min: (The police) hand it over from Detective Division 1 to Division 2, from Team 1 to Team 2. The prosecutors kept telling them to 'do it again' and 'do it again' three times.]
and that victims' right to object alone is insufficient to prevent the side effects of abolition.
[Kwak A-ram / Chosun Ilbo Reporter (Stalking Crime Victim): It might sound as simple as saying 'I object,' but you have to carefully review laws and regulations to submit documents explaining why the police's decision not to forward a case was wrong. Why should the victim have to go through this for something that prosecutors could review once and finish?...]
Attendees at the seminar also agreed that the one-month deadline for police requested to conduct complementary investigations to wrap up is deeply problematic.
[Crime Victim: If we only pressure front-line police officers who are already gasping for breath due to personnel shortages and heavy workloads with deadlines, what will happen? It will lead to dismissals just to clear cases...]
Attendees appealed that "this criminal procedure amendment must focus on the substantive and prompt recovery of victims."
(Video Reported by Kim Yong-woo | Video Edited by Park Sun-soo | Design by Hwang Se-yeon)
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