A man who suffered months of stalking by his ex-girlfriend has claimed that he faced secondary victimization from the police investigating his case.

[Stalking Victim / Claiming Secondary Victimization by Police: I went through a lot of absurd things while handling this case alone for several months. What the investigator was saying didn't make sense... The police talked about how the perpetrator herself was having a very hard time... Even after receiving a warning notice, (the perpetrator) kept contacting me. I told them I was anxious that she might show up and that I was really scared, but the police told me she probably wouldn't show up and would just keep contacting me, so I should just go outside.]

Mr. A, who broke up with his ex-girlfriend last December, expressed that his nightmare began from that very moment.

The ex-girlfriend, Ms. B, persistently contacted Mr. A by alternating between 21 accounts across various platforms, including text messages, KakaoTalk, and Discord.

[Attorney Song Ji-won: The contents of the messages implied suicide because of him, such as "I took pills and had my stomach pumped" and "Something bad is going to happen to me." Even though he continuously blocked her, she even used the Toss app to send money in 1-won increments, saying things like "Hear me out, please contact me."]

Eventually, Mr. A filed a complaint against Ms. B for stalking, and a "Provisional Measure No. 3" order prohibiting approach and contact was issued against the suspect, Ms. B.

However, Ms. B did not stop contacting him; she watched Mr. A's broadcasts in real-time—he is an internet broadcasting BJ (broadcast jockey)—and invited him to open chat rooms.

Mr. A, who visited the police with a desperate heart, said the response he received was despairing.

[Investigator in Charge: I've listened a lot to her (the perpetrator's) side. You know she has mental health issues right now, don't you?]

[Stalking Victim / Claiming Secondary Victimization by Police: But the problem is, I also have thoughts of making an extreme choice. Seriously.]

[Investigator in Charge: She also seems to be having a very hard time with the fact that she has become a suspect. Anyway, you two are former romantic partners. She also receives a lot of hospital treatment for depression. But she said it's difficult for her to be hospitalized right now because she has no hospital fees. So I'm thinking of looking into whether there is a center I can connect her with. Anyway, since both of you are having a hard time, I hope you just don't talk to each other and live like that.]

Mr. A pointed out that the police response was inadequate because he is a male victim.

[Stalking Victim / Claiming Secondary Victimization by Police: (Because I) am a male victim, (the police) didn't respond very strongly and kept dealing with it in that kind of way. They say that in a stalking case, they must look at the victim unconditionally and that two (police cars) should arrive, but when they actually came, they didn't protect me when I asked them to, and they didn't really do anything either. Then (the perpetrator) would contact me again, and this kept repeating...]&br />
[Baek Ki-jong, Former Violent Crimes Team Leader at Suseo Police Station: They are taking a very wrong and inappropriate response right now. They seem to view this stalking crime through a gendered concept between men and women. Talking in a way that tries to make people understand the perpetrator, such as saying the perpetrator is suffering from depression, can be seen as a very inappropriate response for someone investigating.]

The team leader who oversaw the investigation at the time acknowledged the inexperienced response.

[Anchor Kim Jong-won: The investigator in charge is a rookie police officer assigned to the team this March, and stated that they were inexperienced in the process of investigating stalking cases. They said they said things to the victim that didn't necessarily need to be said, and stated that they have strictly reprimanded this part internally as well. Meanwhile, the investigator has already been replaced, and they conveyed their stance to prevent anyone from feeling that it is biased through more neutral investigations moving forward.]

Mr. A is appealing that he is in an even more painful situation due to the secondary victimization by the police.

[Attorney Song Ji-won: He cannot sleep. He currently sleeps only 2 to 3 hours because he sleeps a lot. He is even said to have gastrointestinal disorders, vomiting, and dehydration symptoms. Panic disorder has also set in, so he cannot go outside well. He says that internet broadcasting, which is his livelihood, is also difficult right now.]

The ex-girlfriend, Ms. B, has currently been forwarded to the police on stalking charges, and an investigation is also underway regarding the violation of provisional measures.

(Planned by: Lee Se-young | Video Edited by: Lee Yu-jin | Video Source: News Hunters | Produced by: SBS Digital News)