Source: The Hindu
Former Japanese soldier Rina Gonoi came forward in late August to demand a review of an alleged attack on her by a former male colleague in 2021.
In a rare acknowledgment of sexual harassment in the Japanese military on Sept. 29, the army chief apologized to former soldiers for the harm done by a group of military personnel.
Japan Ground Self-Defence Force President Yoshihide Yoshida said an internal investigation had found evidence that several soldiers were involved in an incident involving former soldier Rina Gonoi last month.
At a press conference, Yoshida said, “As the representative of the Ground Self-Defence Force, I deeply apologise for the long suffering Ms. Gonoi has suffered.” “We sincerely apologise.”
An investigation is ongoing and no details, including the attackers and their punishment, were not yet released as of Thursday.
Japan’s Defense Minister Hamada earlier this month ordered a ministry-wide investigation into rising reports of sexual assault after Gonoi made allegations of harassment of herself and others. Ms. Gonoi came forward in late August and requested a reinvestigation of an alleged attack on her by a former male colleague in 2021.
She also received information from 146 military personnel, she said, who said they had also been harassed during their service.
The number of complaints of various types of harassment increased from 256 in 2016 to 2,311 last year, according to the ministry.
In a country where gender inequality remains high, sexual harassment is often ignored and the #MeToo movement is slow to spread the chances for help looks bleak but Japanese women have started to speak up. Earlier this month, Gonoi filed a petition with the Ministry of Defense, with more than 100,000 signatures, demanding an independent review of her case.
In August 2021, in a training ground dormitory, her three older male co-workers pressed their lower body against her while more than a dozen other male co-workers watched and laughed at her. She was forced to spread her legs, she tried to stop them and reach out for help but no one came forward to help her.
In her statement, Gonoi said she had filed a case with the ministry, but the investigation was not properly conducted and local prosecutors dropped the case in May.
A month later, she left army and made her allegations public on her social media.
Gonoi said she felt her case had been quelled and that she needed to speak up because there could be more victims if she didn’t speak up.
The defence ministry sent an investigator to the local army division that oversees the unit where Ms. Gonoi served.
They have also established a committee of outside experts to review measures to combat harassment and investigate the causes of the recent surge in reports.
Ms. Gonoi said she came forward in the hope that the matter would be eased and the ministry would release its findings into her case and take strict disciplinary action against the alleged attackers.
According to Kyodo News, the ministry has found another victim in another case, and a final report is expected soon.
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