Nearly 10,000 booked for alleged dating abuse in 2019: data

SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- Reports of violence by dating partners rose last year from a year earlier, police said Sunday, vowing to step up efforts to prevent this type of crime and protect victims.

The number of dating violence cases reported to police came to 19,940 in 2019, up from 18,671 a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the National Police Agency (NPA). In 2017, the figure came to 14,136.

Of the total, 9,858 people were booked for criminal charges last year, compared to 10,245 in 2018, the data showed.

Assault charges accounted for the largest share with 7,003 people, followed by confinement and intimidation with 1,067, sexual violence with 25 cases and murder with 10, the police said, noting that most of the victims were women.

Police said they will continue to implement diverse measures to root out the crimes and better protect victims.

A two-month campaign will be launched starting in July to encourage people to proactively report dating violence to the authorities.

Police will also extend support for victims to receive more counseling services and review an option to cover their medical and living expenses, according to the NPA.

"Dating violence undoubtedly constitutes a criminal act, not lovers' quarrel, and active responses are a must," an NPA officer said.

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