SEOUL – Cho Doo-soon, infamous for one of the most shocking crimes in South Korean history, has once again sparked public outrage and concern after recently moving into a new home.

Cho, who was released from prison in December 2020 After serving 12 years in prison for raping an 8-year-old girl, he moved from his previous home in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, to a nearby neighborhood.

His move to a new residence located just 2 km away from his previous home has once again sparked fears and arguments among nearby residents.

Since Cho’s release four years ago, his presence in Ansan has become a source of concern, prompting angry demonstrations and anonymous death threats.

Residents expressed fear of the crime happening again, given Cho’s brutal criminal history. Despite existing measures to monitor him, many people were uneasy about having a convicted child rapist living nearby, especially in a place where families and children were present.

Police installed a surveillance system at his home and added 35 security cameras, brighter street lights and police booths to Cho’s neighborhood to both monitor his movements and deter people who threaten his safety.

Anger mounts when it is reported that Cho has moved into a house just a five-minute walk from the primary school and nursery. There are nearly 10 primary schools, secondary schools and high schools in the region, which extends the distance up to 1.5 km.

A new Oct. 30 report on a notorious child rapist residing near schools showed that more than half of the nation’s nurseries, kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools have sex offenders living within a one-mile radius.

According to the report submitted by Representative Paik Seung-ah, 59 percent of nurseries, 51 percent of kindergartens, 45 percent of primary schools, 48 ​​percent of middle schools and 53 percent of high schools were exposed. possibility of encountering sex offenders in the neighborhood.

By location, Seoul showed the highest rate, with 83 percent of nurseries in the area within one kilometer of the predator’s home, requiring special attention and support from law enforcement for the safety of students.

The government here has implemented a range of measures to track released sex offenders and alert communities. These include providing information about offenders’ residences and criminal records, and allowing interested parties to check how many sex offenders live in their neighborhoods.

In Cho’s case, this public access to information ensured that her neighbors were aware of her location at all times, but this information alone did little to alleviate her concerns.

Police officials also increased their reaction to Cho’s relocation. Patrols around his new home were reinforced by stationing a full-time patrol car near his home and assigning additional officers to the area.

However, the fact that the private security center, which was previously located near its old residence, has not yet found a new place in its new neighborhood, raises questions about the efficiency of the building security. convenient location.

Cho was released from prison in December 2020 after serving 12 years for raping an 8-year-old girl in 2008. The convict, then 57 years old, violently raped the child after abducting her from a church toilet in Ansan. school.

The victim suffered injuries severe enough to cause permanent internal damage. KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK