YONHAP NEWS

(LEAD) Parliament to hold special session for legislation on sex crimes

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- Rival parties agreed Wednesday to convene a one-day parliamentary session this month to act on a series of bills calling for tougher punishment for sex crimes, an unusual bipartisan move reflecting nationwide outrage over the recent rape and murder of a teenage girl.

   The floor leaders of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) agreed to hold the plenary session on March 31 to act on some 20 bills, such as extending prison sentences and the statute of limitations for sex crimes, opposition spokesman Woo Jae-chang said.

   The measures had been stalled in the judiciary committee.

   The unusually bipartisan agreement between the bickering parties came amid public uproar after a 13-year-old girl was found dead over the weekend, about two weeks after she went missing in the southeastern port city of Busan. Police have determined that she was raped and killed. A 33-year-old man, Kim Kil-tae, was identified as a suspect after his hair was found on the girl's body.

   Kim, who was arrested Wednesday, has spent a total of 11 years behind bars after being convicted of several rapes. He was not ordered to wear an electronic anklet upon his latest release last June because his indictment occurred before September 2008.

   Under the current law, only those indicted after September 2008 for sexual assaults against children or more than two rapes of women are forced to wear an electronic anklet 24 hours a day for up to 10 years after serving jail terms.

   Earlier in the day, the government and the ruling party agreed to seek the retroactive enforcement of the electronic anklet rule to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The two sides also agreed to establish a legal basis for the retroactive application in order to avoid any controversies over rights violations.

   It is unclear whether the National Assembly could pass legislation allowing the retroactive enforcement of the anklet rule during this month's plenary session. But Wednesday's agreement between the rival parties is expected to boost such chances.

   Opposition party spokesman Woo also noted concerns about a constitutional violation that the retroactive enforcement could cause, but said that the parliament was prepared "to do everything it can on its side through legislative technicality."

   The justice ministry plans to expand the scope of psychological treatment of sex offenders, while the National Police Agency plans to increase its personnel in sex-crime divisions and streamline its investigation and management system, according to Park.

   odissy@yna.co.kr
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