The Study on the Police Response to Domestic Violence in Korea - Focusing on Victim Protection in the Course of Police Investigation

The Study on the Police Response to Domestic Violence in Korea

&nbsp;&nbsp;The importance of the criminal victim protection in the criminal investigation process, more than we have ever thought, has been widely known in these days. Recently, Korean police officer&quot;s behavioral patterns for criminal victims have been remarkably improved than ever before, since the Office for Victims of Police Agency launched in 2004. The same may be said of domestic violence victim.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Nevertheless, it has had a still great importance how the police properly assist and protect the domestic violence victims in Korea, especially in the stage of preliminary investigation. Because the effort to meet the domestic violence victim&quot;s needs has a great effect on victims&quot; rapid recovery from the impact of crime and securing their personal safety on that stage of investigation.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;This paper is mainly focused on the police initial response to domestic violence in the phase of the preliminary investigation. Several recommendations which might be helpful for the victims in that phase will be suggested, including various improvement strategies regarding not only police behavioral patterns but also the police response systems and the revision of the Special Domestic Violence Act.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;The practice of these recommendations will be able to produce such a good result for the police investigators to get the credibility from all the people including the criminal victims.