Court orders state compensation to sex worker photographed naked in police crackdown
Published: 17 Oct. 2024, 18:55
Updated: 17 Oct. 2024, 19:11
![Participants call for revision of a law that discriminates against sex workers at a rally in central Seoul on Sept. 23. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/10/17/af5c19c1-f951-4bfd-b541-b2ae19d43a7a.jpg)
Participants call for revision of a law that discriminates against sex workers at a rally in central Seoul on Sept. 23. [YONHAP]
A Seoul court on Thursday ordered the state to pay 8 million won ($5,848) in compensation to a sex worker whose naked body was photographed by a police officer during a crackdown on sex trafficking.
In 2022, the police took a photo of the woman's naked body while conducting an inspection on sex trafficking crimes, and shared the photo to a group chat room of the police unit in charge of the job.
The woman filed a damages suit seeking 50 million won, claiming the police had failed to present a warrant during the inspection, thereby greatly limiting her privacy, and violated the proportionality principle protected by the Constitution.
She also claimed the police used invectives or acted in ways that triggered sexual humiliation, and even forced her to unjustly confess to her crime.
The Seoul Central District Court partially ruled in favor of the plaintiff and ordered the state to compensate 8 million won to the woman, without elaborating on its decision.
The ruling came after the National Human Rights Commission determined the police behavior in the case as a human rights violation in July last year, and advised the National Police Agency chief to overhaul guidelines regarding crackdowns on sex trafficking.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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