S.Korean police launch new stalking, sex crime response teams

Seoul, Jan 30 (IANS) The National Police Agency of South Korea has established new investigative teams dedicated to responding to stalking and sexual violence crimes, officials said on Sunday.

The agency's National Office of Investigation has reorganised its juvenile crime and gender-based violence investigation division earlier this month into four sub teams against stalking, sexual violence, domestic violence and abuse crimes, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"Since the enforcement of the new anti-stalking law in October of last year, the division has been tasked with handling stalking and dating violence crime cases," an official said, adding that the units were established to better handle heinous and brutal crimes that have shocked the nation in recent months.

Last month, police in Seoul reviewed all pending stalking and sexual offense cases again to see if the victims are under sufficient protection after two recent deaths were blamed on failures to provide due police protection.

According to the police, the number of reports on stalking-related offenses from the enforcement of the anti-stalking law in late October to the end of 2021 amounted to 7,538, climbing fourfold on-year.