Sexual Harassment Allegations at Jeonnam Care Facility for the Disabled... NHRCK Says "Inadequate Response"

"Immediate Protective Measures for Victims Needed"
Recommendations for Recurrence Prevention Including Response Manual

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has released an investigation result stating that the response was insufficient regarding multiple incidents of sexual harassment at a mental health care facility in Jeonnam.

The Gwangju Human Rights Office of the National Human Rights Commission on the 22nd recommended measures to prevent recurrence in a case filed by Mr. A, who worked at a care facility for people with mental disorders in Jeonnam, against the facility director and staff for alleged human rights violations.

According to the Gwangju Human Rights Office, the facility had multiple incidents of sexual harassment involving residents, and complaints were filed regarding actions such as locking up residents in the auditorium with a padlock on the grounds of aggressive behavior.

The Human Rights Commission's investigation found that the facility, upon hearing of the sexual harassment, only conducted internal counseling to determine the facts and merely instructed Mr. A to "shout for help" or "move in groups of two or more," focusing on controlling the victim. The facility did not take proactive measures such as reporting to investigative agencies or disability rights advocacy organizations.

In addition, separate from the sexual harassment allegations, it was confirmed that the facility isolated residents who exhibited aggressive behavior by leaving them alone in the auditorium or, in some cases, locking them in, which did not comply with relevant guidelines.

It was also recognized as a human rights violation that facility staff filmed residents on video without their consent.

National Human Rights Commission Gwangju Human Rights Office.

Accordingly, the Human Rights Commission recommended that the facility establish a manual for the prevention and response to sexual violence, provide sexual violence prevention and response training for all staff, and conduct training for mandatory reporters.

The Commission also recommended that the head of the local government responsible for oversight of the facility separate living spaces for male and female residents and transfer male residents accused of sexual harassment to other facilities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.