Delayed compensation for exonerated

[Anchor]

No one should suffer unjust imprisonment, which is why there is a criminal compensation system in place to support victims.

However, today we share a story where delays in court compensation decisions have caused additional grief for bereaved families.

One in four individuals suffers from such delayed compensation.

This is an exclusive report by reporter Shin Hyun-wook.

[Report]

Park Jeong-tae, who was abducted while fishing and later falsely accused of being a spy, was sentenced to prison in 1973.

In 2023, after 50 years, Park was acquitted in a retrial, but he had already passed away.

[Park Yong-cheol/Son of the late Park Jeong-tae: "He must not have been well. He was imprisoned and his health deteriorated. He passed away about a year later."]

The bereaved family of Park filed a claim for 'criminal compensation' from the state for the defendant whose innocence had been confirmed.

According to current law, the court must decide on the compensation within six months of the claim.

However, the family had to wait for one year and eight months.

During that time, Park's wife also passed away, and just a week before the decision, their daughter also died.

[Park Yong-cheol/Son of the late Park Jeong-tae: "If the state made a mistake leading to the verdict, it should naturally provide compensation. Delaying it truly kills the hearts of the abductees a second time."]

Statistics show that cases of such 'delayed compensation' exceeds 23%.

In some cases, it took more than 945 days, which is over five times the stipulated period.

Another bereaved family of an abductee filed a lawsuit against the court for missing the compensation deadline, but the court stated that the compensation decision period is not a 'mandatory provision' and that a long processing time does not constitute illegality.

[Choi Jeong-kyu/Lawyer for the late Park Jeong-tae: "The past wrongful convictions by the court are also included. Adhering to the deadlines set by law is the very least they can do to show respect for those mistakes..."]

Unlike the prosecution, which must pay a 'delayed interest' if compensation is not paid within three months of the court's decision, there are no means to sanction the court itself.

The Court Administration Office stated that it issued a notice to all courts last July, urging compliance with compensation deadlines.

This is KBS News, Shin Hyun-wook.