A mug shot of a raccoon identified as the “mastermind” behind a power outage in a city in the U.S. state of Texas last year (Image courtesy of Seguin Police Department, Texas)
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – The National Assembly on Friday passed a new bill aimed at expanding the public disclosure of personal data of violent crime offenders amid heightened public concern over heinous crimes.
Nicknamed the “mug shot disclosure bill,” the legislation will allow police to disclose portrait photos of suspects in violent crimes from the shoulders up taken within the previous 30 days.
The suspect’s personal information will also be disclosed on the internet for the same amount of time after a minimum of a five-day grace period. But suspects will be guaranteed their right to make a statement before police make a disclosure decision, according to the bill.
Additionally, the bill also includes provisions allowing prosecutors to disclose portrait photos of serious crime offenders in case their charges change during trial, under the court’s permission.
The scope of crimes subject to disclosure will also be expanded to include suspects involved in grave crimes, such as terrorism, organized gangs, drugs and sex crimes targeting children, as well as violence targeting random female victims.
Calls to improve the current criminal mug shot disclosure system have mounted since some photos of high-profile crime assailants recently released by police were outdated and bore little or no resemblance to their actual appearance.
In response, the government and the ruling People Power Party pledged to come up with a special bill in June. The legislative process picked up speed, as lawmakers swiftly introduced relevant bills.
The new law will take effect three months after promulgation and apply to all criminal cases under investigation thereafter.
(Yonhap)
