Japanese military issues rare apology over sexual harassment case


TOKYO: In a rare admission of sexual harassment in the Japanese military, its army chief on Thursday (September 29th) apologized to a former soldier for suffering caused by a group of servicemen.

Yoshihide Yoshida, head of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, said an internal investigation had found evidence that several military personnel were involved in the case brought by former soldier Rina Gonoi last month.

“Representing the Ground Self-Defense Force, I deeply apologize to Ms. Gonoi for the pain she had to endure for a long time,” Yoshida said at a press conference. “We offer a sincere apology.”

The investigation was ongoing and further details, including the attackers and their punishment, were yet to be released as of Thursday.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada earlier this month ordered a ministry-wide investigation into growing reports of sexual assault after Gonoi made harassment allegations against her and others. .

Gonoi came forward in late August to demand a new investigation into an alleged assault on her in 2021 by former male colleagues. She also said she received information from 146 service members who said they were harassed while on duty.

The ministry said the number of various types of harassment complaints rose from 256 in 2016 to 2,311 last year.

In a country where gender inequality remains high, sexual harassment is often ignored and the #MeToo movement is slow to take hold. But the Japanese women started talking.

Earlier this month, Gonoi submitted a petition to the Ministry of Defense signed by more than 100,000 people asking for his case to be reinvestigated by a third party.

She said three senior male colleagues in August 2021 in a dormitory at a training ground pressed their lower bodies against her, forcing her to spread her legs, as more than 10 other male colleagues watched and laughed, but no one tried to stop them. .

Gonoi said in a statement that she filed a complaint with the ministry, but the investigation was not properly conducted and local prosecutors dropped the case in May.

A month later, she left the military and disclosed her allegations on social media.

Gonoi said she felt her case had been called off and she needed to speak up because there could be more victims if she didn’t.

The Ministry of Defense sent investigators to the regional division of the army overseeing the unit where Gonoi served. It has also set up a group of external experts to review anti-harassment measures and investigate the causes of the recent increase in reported cases.

Gonoi said she came forward in the hope that the problem would be alleviated and that the department would release the findings in her case and take strict disciplinary action against the alleged abusers.

The ministry found more victims in other cases, Kyodo News reported, and the final report is expected soon.