Civic Groups Call On Human Rights Commission To Probe Alleged Sexual Abuse By Late Seoul Mayor
Reporter Rosyn Park ㅣ 2020-07-22 18:16
Civic groups and a laywer representing the victim of alleged sexual harassment by late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon call for an independent probe of the case at a press conference on July 22, 2020.
Civic groups have called on the National Human Rights Commission to conduct an independent probe into alleged sexual harassment by the late mayor of Seoul.
The groups, including the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, held a press conference Wednesday demanding city officials take responsibility for the "hierarchical work culture" that turned a blind eye to the case.
The victim, a former secretary of Mayor Park Won-soon, filed a complaint with the police on July 8, claiming the mayor sexually harassed her over four years and that more than a dozen calls for help went unanswered.
Park was found dead in an apparent suicide two days later, effectively terminating a criminal investigation.
Facing mounting criticism and mounting pressure, the city government proposed launching a joint probe team with civic groups and legal experts to determine the truth of what appeared to be power-based sexual abuse.
The groups representing the victim rejected the idea, saying the rights commission should look into the case and possible misconduct by the city and relevant officials.
The victim said in a statement that it took her a long time to realize there was a problem and even longer to raise the issue, adding she will wait until an investigation sheds light on what happened "through a legally appropriate and reasonable process, without any prejudice."
The civic groups and the victim's lawyer plan to file a formal complaint with the human rights commission next week.