The majority of sexual violence victims in Korea don’t report their cases to the police as they fear social stigmatization and prejudice, according to the Gender Equality Ministry.
As of last year, an average of 79 individuals experienced sexual violence every day in South Korea. According to the ministry, more than 65 percent of the victims do not share their experience with anyone.
A total of 85 percent of the victims here were assaulted by acquaintances or somebody they already knew.
The ministry said one of the biggest reasons why the victims do not report to the police is partly because of the social prejudice, which often blames the victims for what happened.
Many also hold a prejudiced view that once a woman has been sexually abused, her future prospects in life and marriage are limited.
“The victims say that they were often told, ‘You’ve been sexually assaulted. How are you going to get married?’; ‘You are sort of responsible of what happened because you were staying out late and were drunk’; or ‘If you had resisted enough, it wouldn’t have happened,’” the ministry said in a statement.
“But both victims and the public should know that it is possible for sexual abuse survivors to live fulfilling lives.”
In its effort to support victims and their emotional well-being, the ministry is distributing 65,000 copies of posters on sexual violence to educate the public.
The posters feature testimonies from sexual violence survivors, including a woman who kept her experience a secret for a decade.
“I didn’t want to hear something like, ‘You are the one who accepted his invitation,’ or ‘It’s hard to think that you were not attracted to him at all.’ So I just didn’t talk to anyone about it for 10 years.”
Kim Jae-ryun, a former lawyer who now works at the ministry, said it is “necessary to establish a culture that empathizes with and supports the victims,” rather than blaming them.
The poster also advices the public to tell victims of sexual violence that “What happened is not their fault and they are not responsible for it,” and that “they can overcome and survive.”
“It’s important to note that one is never to blame if she or he is assaulted or abused,” a ministry official said.
“Whatever the victim was doing and looked like at the time of the abuse, including alcohol consumption and the way she or he was dressed, can never justify the behavior of their predators.”
