Daegum Establishes Anonymous Consultation and Reporting Guidelines for Prosecutorial Sexual Harassment... 3rd Gender Equality Policy Committee Meeting Held

Seoul Seocho-dong Supreme Prosecutors' Office. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist Reporter] The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has newly established guidelines to activate anonymous reporting of sexual harassment and related incidents within the prosecution.

On the morning of the 1st, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office deliberated and approved the "Guidelines for Handling Anonymous Consultations (Reports) on Sexual Harassment within the Prosecution" at the 3rd Prosecutorial Gender Equality Policy Committee meeting (Chairman Kim Deok-hyun).

The guidelines include procedures and standards for handling cases when frontline prosecution office staff apply for consultations or report incidents such as sexual harassment anonymously.

In particular, the guidelines contain provisions allowing anonymous reports to be handled by applying the "Supreme Prosecutors' Office Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Secondary Damage" when specific grievances are confirmed through surveys on sexual harassment and related issues.

At the committee meeting held that day, the "2022 Basic Plan for Prosecutorial Gender Equality Policy" and the "Revised Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Secondary Damage at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office" were also approved.

Regarding the "2022 Basic Plan for Prosecutorial Gender Equality Policy," under the goal of "Realizing a Happy and Gender-Equal Prosecution for All," the proposed tasks included ▲ Establishing a system for promoting gender equality policies ▲ Preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence within the prosecution and protecting victims ▲ Strengthening gender-sensitive criminal procedures ▲ Expanding a gender-equal organizational culture.

Specifically, measures were discussed to enhance the operation of gender equality centers in 65 prosecution offices nationwide, conduct gender impact assessments on directives, regulations, and various promotional materials related to prosecution affairs, carry out regular surveys and on-site inspections to prevent and eradicate sexual harassment and sexual violence within the organization, and establish practical protection and support systems for grievance victims.

Regarding the "Revised Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence, and Gender Discrimination and Secondary Damage at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office," measures to prevent secondary damage and respond to grievances such as sexual harassment were discussed.

The committee revised the guideline’s title to include "Secondary Damage Prevention," strengthened victim protection by allowing trusted persons to accompany victims during testimony, and newly established regulations on the responsibilities of superiors, members, and grievance case handlers.

Additionally, specific acts causing secondary damage were enumerated to raise awareness among members, and detailed institutional measures were stipulated, such as promptly notifying related agencies upon occurrence of grievance cases and submitting recurrence prevention plans within three months.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office Gender Equality Policy Office stated, "Today's meeting served as an opportunity to identify future tasks for realizing a happy and gender-equal prosecution for all," adding, "We will continue to strive to improve the prosecution’s systems, organizational culture, and work practices so that all prosecution members are respected and the prosecution becomes a citizen-centered institution based on equality."

Meanwhile, Deputy Prosecutor General Park Seong-jin attended the meeting for the first time as an ex officio member. Previously, the internal ex officio members of the committee were the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Secretariat Chief and the Human Rights Policy Officer, but following the revision of the "Prosecutorial Gender Equality Policy Support Regulations" in June, the number was elevated to three, including the Deputy Prosecutor General.

Established in May last year, the Prosecutorial Gender Equality Policy Committee is chaired by Kim Deok-hyun, a former judge and the 4th president of the Korean Women Lawyers Association (female, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 13). It consists of 10 external members from various sectors of society and 3 internal members.

The committee holds regular meetings once or twice a year to propose improvement measures for the prosecution’s organizational culture and work practices and to deliberate and advise on gender equality policies within the prosecution.

A Supreme Prosecutors' Office official said, "Based on the results of today's meeting, the prosecution will establish a foundation for promoting gender equality policies and make further efforts to improve the prosecution’s systems, organizational culture, and work practices from a gender equality perspective."