경찰의 범죄피해자 보호 실태와 대책에 관한 연구

Abstract

With the recent changes in the perception of public opinion and related institutions on criminal victims, rights of criminal victims have been improved significantly. However, criminal victims have still been alienated from Criminal Justice System. Police, in particular, is the primary investigation institution performing crime prevention and control, and plays very important role in victim protection by directly contacting the victim and the crime itself. It may be fairly said that police is in the foremost frontline for the protection of criminal victim. Fortunately, police have tried their best to protect criminal victims by establishing Victim Consolation Room, providing victims with information on violators, and starting Victim Supporter Center, One-Stop Support Center, and Crisis-Intervention Assistance & Response (CARE). It is because they made criminal victim protection major policy agenda and shifted the paradigm of police activities from criminal centered to victim centered. Although police have published various policies in the form of manuals, manuals seem to be mere forms to show off. In particular, the provision of information on violators to the victims is most wanted by victims. However, it is still not in place. It is because according to the positive law, the provision of information to victims can be made by prosecutors and the police have separate instructions. Additionally, in Crime Victim Support Center which is acting in the front line for the protection of criminal victims do not include the police. It is being independently operated under the name of ‘Victim Protection Committee’ however its operation has not been in place. Besides, there are victim supporters, one-stop support centers and Crisis-Intervention Assistance & Response (CARE) are being introduced. However, they do not seem to satisfy the victims expectation. Accordingly, this article tried to analyze the status of protection schemes for victims that the police is currently performing and to find the countermeasures. To achieve the goal, it is emphasized to shift the paradigm of police investigation from ‘violator-oriented’ to ‘victim-oriented’ based on the concept of criminal victims.