22 U.S.C. § 2507c — Office of Victim Advocacy

(a) Establishment of Office of Victims Advocacy (1) In general The President must establish an Office of Victim Advocacy in Peace Corps headquarters headed by a full-time Victim’s Advocate who must report directly to the Director. The Office of Victim Advocacy may deploy personnel abroad when necessary to help assist victims. (2) Prohibition Peace Corps Medical Officers, Safety and Security Officers, and program staff may not serve as Victim’s Advocates. The Victim’s Advocate referred to in paragraph (1) may not have any other duties in the Peace Corps that are not reasonably connected to victim advocacy. (3) Exemption The Victim’s Advocate and any additional Victim’s Advocates is exempt from the limitations specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) and paragraph (5) under section 2506(a) of this title . (b) Responsibilities (1) Victims of sexual assault The Office of Victim Advocacy must help develop and update the sexual assault risk-reduction and response training described in section 2507a of this title and the sexual assault policy described in section 2507b of this title , ensure that volunteers who are victims of sexual assault receive services specified in section 2507b(c) of this title , and facilitate their access to such services. (2) Other crimes In addition to assisting victims of sexual assault under paragraph (1), the Office of Victim Advocacy must assist volunteers who are victims of crime by making such victims aware of the services available to them and facilitating their access to such services. (3) Priority The Office of Victim Advocacy must give priority to cases involving serious crimes, including sexual assault and stalking. (c) Status updates The Office of Victim Advocacy must provide to volunteers who are victims regular updates on the status of their cases if such volunteers have opted to pursue prosecution. (d) Transition The Office of Victim Advocacy must assist volunteers who are victims of crime and whose service has terminated in receiving the services specified in section 2507b(c) of this title requested by such volunteer. (e) Policymaking The Director of the Peace Corps must include the head of the Office of Victim Advocacy in agency-wide policymaking processes in the same manner and to the same extent as the directors or associate directors of other offices within the Peace Corps.