Korean Police to Include Profiler Assessments in Stalking and Dating Violence Arrest Warrants

In a significant move to combat stalking and dating violence, the Korean National Police Agency has announced that they will now include assessments from criminal profilers when applying for arrest warrants against suspects in these cases. This decision comes in response to a troubling trend where individuals released after warrant denials have retaliated against their victims.

On July 4, the police revealed that they would present a report evaluating the recidivism risk of suspects, prepared by profilers, to judges during warrant applications. This initiative aims to increase the likelihood of detaining suspects, particularly in cases where warrants are being reapplied after initial denials.

Crimes such as stalking and dating violence, often occurring within intimate relationships, are categorized as 'relationship crimes.' According to police data, there have been numerous instances where suspects, once released, harbor grudges against their victims and seek revenge. Many of these suspects have stable residences and clean criminal records, leading to frequent warrant rejections. The number of stalking incidents rose from 10,545 in 2022 to 13,283 last year, while the rejection rate for arrest warrants increased from 33.3% to 36.1% during the same period. In contrast, the rejection rate for general crimes remains between 28% and 30%.

A notable case highlighting this issue occurred last month in Daegu, where a man named Yoon Jeong-woo (48) was accused of stalking a woman in her 50s. After being denied an arrest warrant, he retaliated by breaking into her apartment and fatally attacking her.

To address these concerns, the police plan to conduct in-depth interviews with suspects through profilers to assess the risk of further offenses, ensuring that detailed reports are generated. A police official stated, "It is essential to quickly separate the suspect from the victim, and we aim to significantly increase the warrant issuance rate." The number of police profilers, currently at 35, is also expected to rise.