12,000 detectives to patrol schools, seek heavier punishments


Police will mobilize some 12,000 detectives to combat school violence, a measure that comes after a suicide note left by a Daegu 14-year-old increased media attention toward bullying.

The National Police Agency warned it would detain young suspects in serious criminal cases, signaling a change from its customary restraint in doing so.

Such moves come as recent student suicides have prompted public calls for tougher measures to deal with school bullying.

The NPA delivered these and other directives on Saturday to 16 regional police investigation units to strengthen its crackdown on school violence, officials said.

The 12,000 officers will be dispatched mainly to high-risk areas including private educational institutes, parks, school zones, internet cafes and other popular hangouts for teens.

To more effectively carry out the directives, the police decided to transfer the responsibility for school violence to investigative divisions that deal with serious crimes. It has so far been handled by public safety divisions in charge of minor crimes involving women and juveniles.

In cooperation with schools, the police will also make efforts to disband school gangs and sternly punish those who coerce their peers into joining such gangs, officials said.

The police will intensify measures to help victims, their families and friends to come forward and report their cases to the police. If students are repeatedly caught assaulting their peers, police will request that the school in charge transfer them.

“In cooperation with education offices and expert groups, we will strengthen preventive measures, offer counseling support and help victims after the incidents,” said a senior NPA official, declining to be named.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly passed a revision bill last month which blocks students who are forced to transfer after assaulting another student from attending the same school as the victim.

The suicide of a 14-year-old boy who leapt to his death in Daegu last month after being bullied caused a stir within the country, with parents and schools accused of negligence.

The boy, surnamed Kim, listed in his suicide note things that two classmates forced him to do, including playing an online game using their IDs and punishing him when he failed to meet their expectations in the game by wrapping a radio cord around his neck and dragging him, forcing him to eat crumbs off the floor as well as beating him numerous times.

Two of the teens involved in the case were arrested Saturday on charges of repeated assault and blackmail.

Kim’s mother also plans to file a lawsuit against both the school and the families of the perpetrators, according to news reports.

Separately, last month the Supreme Court ruled that the perpetrators of school violence, their guardians and the school were all liable in a high school bullying case.

One in 10 teenagers aged 15-19 thought about committing suicide at least once in the past year, according to 2011 government statistics. Other government data shows that 735 students in primary and secondary schools committed suicide between 2006 and 2010.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)